38*  CATIONAL 

IDANCE       ***** 


REPORT 

1913-1916 


Vocational  Publication  No.  2 


ANNA  Y,  REED 


VOCATIONAL  GUIDANCE 
REPORT  1913-1916 


BY 

ANNA  Y.  REED,  Ph.  D. 


Vocational  Publication  No.  2 


•    >  »  .  •  i 


Published  by  the  Board  of  School  Directors 

Seattle,  Washington 

November,  1916 


PRINTERS 

Lowman  A  Hanford  Co. 

SEATTLE,  WASH. 


■ 


FOREWORD 

Three  years  ago,  the  school  management,  under  authority 
of  the  Board  of  Directors,  entered  upon  an  inquiry  as  to  why 
boys  and  girls  leave  school,  what  and  how  they  do  after  leaving, 
and  what  the  schools  might  have  done  to  equip  them  better 
for  earning  a  living.  This  inquiry  was  conducted  under  the 
direction  of  Mrs.  J.  A.  Reed,  whose  first  report  "Seattle  Chil- 
dren in  School  and  in  Industry,"  published  in  1915,  pointed 
clearly  to  the  need  of  further  investigation.  This  present  re- 
port, though  not  conclusive  in  its  findings,  is  yet  so  indicative 
of  educational  shortcomings  and  of  possible  remedies  as  to 
be  very  suggestive. 

The  publication  of  the  report  is  justified  by  the  fact  that 
many  teachers  and  the  public  generally  are  interested  in  the 
problems  which  it  discusses  and  because  it  presents  a  serious 
and  continued  study  of  conditions  and  effects  in  school  and 
in  industry. 

It  is  probably  the  first  attempt  of  a  school  system,  under- 
taken through  its  own  instrumentalities,  to  survey  and  pub- 
lish conditions  as  found. 

Whatever  view  may  be  taken  of  it,  the  report  treats  vital 
issues,  which  are  of  concern  to  children,  homes,  society  and 
industry,  and  addresses  them  squarely. 

NATHAN  ECKSTEIN, 
November,  President,  Board  of  Directors 

1916  Seattle  School  District  No.  1 


34C008 


CONTENTS 

Page 

Foreword   

Letter  of  Transmittal 5-6 

Scope  and  Purpose  of  Investigation 7-10 

Section    I. — Aims,   Methods   and   Organization   of  Voca- 
tional Guidance  13-70 

I.— Aims  and  Methods 13-17 

II. — Organization  of  the  Vocational  Department 17-70 

Director  of  Vocational  Guidance 18-21 

Vocational  Guidance  in  the  Elementary  Schools..  21-24 

Vocational  Guidance  in  the  High  School 24-31 

Vocational  Guidance  for  Eliminated  Pupils 31-35 

Vocational  Guidance  and  the  Home 35-36 

Vocational  Guidance  and  Other  Social  Agencies..  36-37 
Vocational  Guidance  and  the  Attendance  Office...  37-43 

Vocational  Guidance  and  the  Evening  School 43-63 

Vocational  Guidance  and  Physical  Defectives 63-64 

Vocational  Guidance  and  Vocational  Assistants...  64-70 
Examinations    for    Vocational    and    Attendance 

Officers    70 

Section  II. — Curriculum  Suggestions 73-89 

I. — Academic  Defects  73-84 

Spoken  English  73-75 

Arithmetic  75-77 

Geography   77-79 

Writing 79-80 

Reading   80 

Commercial  Education  in  Public  Schools 80-84 

II. — Character  Requirement  85-88 

III.— Personality   88-89 

Section  III.— Report  of  the  Vocational  and  Attendance 

Department  1915-1916 93-107 

I.— Elimination  Statistics  93-97 

Permits  97-104 

II.— Vocational  Statistics  104-106 

III.— Financial  Statement 107 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL 

The  Board  of  Directors  and  Superintendent  Frank  B. 

Cooper,  Seattle  School  District  No.  1. 
Gentlemen : 

This  report  terminates  the  vocational  research  un- 
dertaken by  the  Board  in  September,  1913. 

It  is  submitted  in  accordance  with  your  instruc- 
tions of  July  1,  1915,  to  study  the  advisability  of 
vocational  guidance  in  connection  with  the  public 
school  system;  to  recommend  plans  for  the  organiza- 
tion of  vocational  guidance,  and  to  suggest  any 
changes  in  the  school  system  which  this  new  interpre- 
tation of  education  might  indicate  as  desirable. 

In  no  sense  of  the  word  have  I  attempted  a  sur- 
vey of  the  educational  system.  The  fact  that  I  do 
not  mention  much  that  is  good  does  not  indicate  that 
I  am  either  unconscious  or  unappreciative  of  it,  but 
rather  that  I  have  confined  myself  strictly  to  the  let- 
ter of  your  instructions,  which  were  "to  suggest 
changes." 

I  lay  no  claim,  in  this  report,  to  scientific  research. 
I  have  had  no  definite  plan  for  investigation,  but 
rather  have  pursued  a  policy  of  "watchful  waiting." 
When  suggestions  have  come  to  me  I  have  followed 
them  for  what  they  might  be  worth,  but  I  have 
not  scientifically  and  systematically  sought  sugges- 
tions for  change.  On  the  other  hand,  I  have  pre- 
sented only  such  facts  as  I  have  evidence  to  support 
and  as  I  believe  to  be  open  to  verification  from  other 
sources. 

The  assistance  of  the  teaching  corps  has  been  of- 
fered as  generously  and  in  some  instances  more  gen- 
erously than  could  be  expected  considering  that  the 
work  is  entirely  new  and  that  the  average  educator 


6  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

'  """ '  7 

has  not  yet  acquired  the  necessary  background  for 
interpreting  the  movement  in  terms  of  education.  I 
appreciate  fully  the  sympathy  and  encouragement 
which  have  been  given  by  the  superintendents  and 
supervisors  at  the  central  office,  and  I  desire  also 
to  recognize  to  the  full  limit  my  obligation  to  Mr.  Wm. 
McAdam  of  the  business  department. 
Kespectfully  submitted, 

ANNA  Y.  REED. 
Seattle,  Wash.,  July  1,  1916. 


SCOPE  AND  PURPOSE  OF  INVESTI- 
GATION 

In  September,  1913,  at  the  request  of  the  Board 
of  Education,  I  undertook,  as  a  volunteer  worker,  a 
study  of  the  number,  age  and  type  of  pupils  who  had 
dropped  out  of  the  public  schools  without  completing 
the  full  twelve-year  course,  and  their  reason  for  so 
doing.  The  occupations  entered  by  these  pupils  and 
the  degree  of  success  with  which  they  were  meeting 
their  vocational  responsibilities  were  also  studied. 

The  purpose  of  this  study  was  to  ascertain  whether 
the  material  and  method  of  our  school  curriculum  were 
adapted  too  largely  to  the  school  problems  of  pupils,  or 
whether  it  were  also  helpful  to  them  in  adjusting  to 
life's  problems;  whether  by  the  use  of  different  mate- 
rials and  methods  we  might  be  of  more  permanent 
service  to  the  eliminated  pupil. 

No  definite  period  of  time  was  designated  for  the 
completion  of  the  task.  It  is  now  three  years  since 
its  inception.  In  April,  1916,  a  preliminary  report 
was  submitted  to  the  Board  and  a  bona  fide  voca- 
tional department  was  established  to  take  the  place 
of  the  experimental  department,  July  1,  1916. 

Research  work  began  in  September,  1913.  The 
first  step  was  visitation  in  the  homes  of  919  pupils 
who  had  left  school  during  the  year.  Facts  were  se- 
cured regarding  the  educational  and  economic  status 
of  the  family,  the  point  of  view  of  the  parents  as  to 
school  efficiency  and  home  co-operation  and  the  busi- 
ness successes  and  failures  of  members  employed. 
Employers  were  visited  to  secure  their  estimate  of 
this  same  school  product. 

The  results  of  this  study  were  summarized  at  the 
end  of  the  year  1913-14  and  were  published  by  the 
Board  in  February,  1915,  under  the  title  "Seattle 
Children    in    School    and    in    Industry."      Additional 

7 


8  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

study  has  emphasized  the  validity  and  importance  of 
some  of  the  recommendations  made  at  that  time. 

Without  premeditation  on  my  part,  or  on  the  part 
of  others,  a  project  which  was  originated  for  purely 
research  work  gradually  altered  in  character  so  that, 
prior  to  the  completion  of  the  first  report,  vocational 
guidance,  in  the  form  of  personal  interviews,  was 
occupying  no  inconsiderable  portion  of  my  time.  These 
personal  calls  were  responded  to  as  they  came,  first  a 
few  at  my  hotel  but  many  more  after  the  opening  of 
our  office  at  the  Board  of  Education  rooms.  Our 
visits  in  the  home  had  indicated  our  interest  in  child 
welfare  beyond  the  school  room  doors:  our  constantly 
increasing  knowledge  of  occupational  opportunities 
and  demands  was  of  practical  interest  to  parents  and 
children;  our  general  experience  in  the  educational 
field  was  continually  suggesting  new  ways  in  which 
these  various  points  of  contact  might  be  united  for 
the  service  of  the  young.  It  matters  not  whether  we 
interpret  this  new  movement  as  the  schools  creating 
a  demand  for  that  which  had  not  formerly  existed  and 
which  parents  had  not  recognized,  or  whether  we  in- 
terpret it  as  the  schools  responding  to  a  need  which 
they  had  not  known  to  exist  until  parents  brought  it 
before  them,  the  fact  remains  that  the  demand  for 
vocational  guidance,  as  a  co-operative  factor  in  the 
social  economy  of  the  day,  was  the  logical  outgrowth 
of  our  original  investigation.  It  was  apparent  before 
the  end  of  the  second  year  that  our  research  work 
had  created  a  demand  for  advisory  work  in  a  line  not 
heretofore  included  in  the  educational  system,  al- 
though it  was  plainly  allied  to  it.  A  critical  point 
had  been  reached  in  the  study.  Vocational  guidance 
in  some  form,  was  a  need  of  the  school  system.  Should 
we  ignore  the  demand  or  should  we  continue  the  in- 
vestigation in  an  effort  to  decide  what  form  and  meth- 
od of  vocational  guidance  might  legitimately  become 
an  integral  part  of  the  school  system? 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916,  9 

This  new  demand,  coupled  with  the  fact  that  our 
investigation  had  revealed  clearly  three  definite  lines 
in  which  our  product  lacked  equipment  for  life1,  led 
the  Board  to  ask  for  the  continuance  of  the  investi- 
gation another  year. 

The  questions  included  in  the  original  investiga- 
tion have  been  neither  abandoned  nor  neglected  in 
this  report.  The  amount  and  the  cause  of  elimina- 
tion are  vital  problems  for  educational  administra- 
tion and  will  so  be  until  our  elementary  course  is 
motivated  and  concrete  subject  matter  becomes  the 
basis  of  instruction.  Facts  corresponding  to  those 
in  the  original  investigation  are  presented  in  the  third 
division  of  the  report,  while  the  newer  phases,  which 
were  the  outgrowth  of  the  earlier  study,  are  discussed 
in  the  first  and  second  divisions. 

My  own  viewpoint,  and  therefore  the  viewpoint 
from  which  this  investigation  has  been  made  and 
from  which  this  report  is  written,  is  that  public  edu- 
cation is  an  important  factor  in  the  social  economy 
of  any  community.  If  it  is  to  be  a  progressive  factor 
it  must  become  a  part  of  the  co-operative  movement 
by  which  society  is  seeking  the  betterment  of  human 
life,  and  it  must  assume  its  share  of  responsibility 
for  constructive  social  action.  Since  constructive  so- 
cial action  is  based  on  the  accumulated  knowledge  of 
social  facts  and  principles,  it  must  not  only  know 
how  to  use  all  the  organized  knowledge  contributed 
by  other  agencies  for  the  modification  and  improve- 
ment of  the  system,  but  it  must  of  itself  make  defi- 
nite contributions  toward  the  accumulation  of  scien- 
tific data.  More  than  that,  it  must  be  able  to  exer- 
cise discriminating  ability  in  the  complex  problems  of 

1  Page  63,  Seattle  Children  In  School  and  in  Industry:  "Capital  and 
labor,  employer  and  employee,  no  matter  what  their  point  of  view, 
are  unanimous  in   asking   tor   greater   emphasis   along  these   lines: 

1.  Academic — accuracy,  rapidity  and  neatness  in  arithmetic,  writ- 
ing and  spelling. 

2.  Character — honesty,   industry   and  ability  to  follow  Instructions. 

3.  Personality — hygiene,  proper  business  dress,  courtesy  and  refine- 
ment in   speech   and  manner." 


10  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

deciding  which  of  these  accumulated  social  facts  and 
principles  are  primary  factors  in  education,  and  which 
are  of  secondary  or  allied  importance.  In  other 
words,  it  must  be  able  to  decide  discriminatingly 
where  education  should  exercise  leadership,  where  ac- 
tive and  where  passive  co-operation,  and  where  it 
should  become  an  opposing  force. 

It  is  well  to  recognize  that  educational  adminis- 
tration is  handicapped  by  its  limited  knowledge  of 
definite  standards  as  to  aims  of  education,  methods 
of  accomplishing  its  aims^and  accurate  standards  for 
measuring  results.  It  is  well  to  realize  that  perfect- 
ing our  knowledge  in  these  lines  depends  upon  prog- 
ress in  psychology  and  sociology,  sciences  which  are 
still  in  their  infancy.  It  is  well  to  remember  that 
custom  standards  rather  than  scientific  standards  still 
dominate  the  educational  field.  But,  if  we  would  be 
optimistic,  it  is  also  well  to  remember  that  the  de- 
mand for  education  on  a  scientific  basis  is  increasing, 
and  that  the  discouragements  of  to-day  are  full  of  prom- 
ise for  to-morrow.  Because  we  cannot  definitely  de- 
fine the  aims  of  vocational  guidance  and  the  results  to 
be  attained  by  it,  because  we  cannot  test  accurately 
the  value  of  our  efforts  in  character  development,  shall 
we  refuse  to  use  the  beginnings  of  scientific  knowledge 
and  such  empirical  information  as  we  do  have  in  help- 
ing to  develop  this  new  phase  of  modern  education? 

The  problem  is  limitless.  Suggestions  which  any 
of  us  may  offer  are  but  a  beginning.  There  are  many 
points  of  contact  and  new  paths  heretofore  unentered 
by  the  educator  to  explore.  There  are  many  discour- 
agements and  will  be  many  errors  and  disappoint- 
ments, but,  believing  as  I  do,  that  Seattle  can  "help 
to  find  the  way"  and  that,  in  so  doing,  she  is  contrib- 
uting to  constructive  social  work,  I  offer  for  your  con- 
sideration the  most  important  ways  in  which  immedi- 
ate progress  along  vocational  lines  seems  feasible. 


SECTION  I 

Aims,  Methods  and  Organization  of  Voca- 
tional Guidance 


SECTION  I 

Is  vocational  guidance  in  connection  with  the 
School  System  desirable?  What  should  be  its  aims 
and  methods?  How  should  it  be  organized  and  how 
related  to  the  established  lines  of  education? 

This  is  one  phase  of  the  new  study  determined 
upon  for  1915-16. 

The  preliminary  report  of  April,  1916,  covered  the 
first  question.  It  has  already  been  answered  in  the 
affirmative  by  the  decision  of  the  Board  to  establish 
a  regular  department  of  vocational  guidance  in  con- 
nection with  the  educational  system. 

I.    WHAT  SHOULD  BE  THE  AIMS  AND  METHODS  OF  VO- 
CATIONAL GUIDANCE? 

Vocational  guidance  is  a  bit  of  new  and  popular 
phraseology  which  carries  with  it  a  variety  of  mean- 
ings and  is  open  to  a  variety  of  interpretations. 

In  the  minds  of  some  it  is  an  indefinite  something 
which  is  too  intangible  to  attempt  to  define,  much 
less  to  utilize.  It  is  something  to  be  avoided.  In  the 
minds  of  others  it  is  decidedly  definite  but  means 
nothing  more  scientific  than  free  employment.  Some- 
where between  these  two  extremes  there  is  to  be  found 
a  logical,  purposeful,  vocational  guidance  program 
which  will  sooner  or  later  be  incorporated  in  our  edu- 
cational system. 

I  have  in  my  own  mind,  in  presenting  these  sug- 
gestions to  the  Board,  a  fairly  definite  general  policy 
of  vocational  guidance,  the  outgrowth  of  my  three 
years  of  experience,  which  I  believe  can  be  worked  out 
advantageously  to  the  school  system.     On  the  other 

13 


14  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

hand,  I  believe  it  to  be  most  important,  during  the 
experimental  stage  of  vocational  guidance,  that  no  ef- 
fort be  made  to  convert  it  into  a  system.  Progress  in 
educational  lines  is  dependent  upon  that  class  of 
elasticity  which  is  rarely  found  in  a  "system." 

The  suggestions  which  I  offer  as  to  the  aims,  meth- 
ods and  organization  of  vocational  guidance  are  gen- 
eral and  have  been  fairly  constant  during  the  three 
years  of  my  association  with  the  work.  The  details 
have  changed  often,  methods  have  changed,  but  I 
have  always  come  back  to  the  same  viewpoint  and  the 
same  general  policy.  That  the  aim  of  vocational  guid- 
ance is  to  give  the  pupil  a  better  understanding  of 
himself  and  of  the  world  in  which  he  lives;  to  open 
his  eyes  to  the  opportunities  of  life  and  help  him  to 
prepare  for  the  field  in  which  he  can  render  his  best 
service;  to  develop  his  judgment  so  that  he  may  rea- 
son clearly  and  logically  on  the  relationship  between 
himself  and  his  environment.  In  other  words  it  has 
been  my  constant  policy  to  guide  pupils  to  find  them- 
selves so  that  at  maturity  they  may  know  how  to 
guide  themselves. 

The  best  methods  of  vocational  guidance  are  still 
to  be  developed.  Up  to  date  we  have  depended  upon 
individual  rather  than  general  methods,  which,  in  or- 
der to  bring  success  must  be  based  upon  a  logical  com- 
bination of  two  things — correct  psychological  inter- 
pretation of  the  aptitudes  and  abilities  of  the  indi- 
vidual concerned  and  correct  sociological  interpreta- 
tion of  his  social,  civic  and  industrial  environment. 

Type  of  pupils  and  the  material  part  of  the  method 
employed  may  be  explained,  but  explanation  of  that 
part  of  method  which  is  due  to  personal  contact  be- 
tween mind  and  mind,  to  individual  interpretation  of 
another's  motives,  abilities  and  ambitions,  and  that 
subtle  influence  which  can  often  create  ambitions 
and  develop  abilities  where  none  exist,  is  far  in  the 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  15 

future.  It  is  a  matter  of  personality  and  can  neither 
be  explained  nor  taught. 

Three  entirely  distinct  types  of  pupils  have  sought 
the  assistance  of  the  department  for  purposes  of  voca- 
tional guidance.  Different  methods  have  been  em- 
ployed, not  only  for  each  class,  but  also  for  different 
individuals  within  the  same  class. 

One  type  of  pupils  has  come  to  us  while  still  in 
school  seeking  that  form  of  educational  guidance 
which  skillfully  handled  culminates  at  maturity  in 
conscious  vocational  self -guidance.  For  these  pupils, 
who  have  time  to  study  both  their  own  abilities  and 
the  various  occupational  opportunities,  we  have  com- 
bined personal  interviews  with  suggestions  for  the 
continuous  study  of  printed  matter  which  will  indi- 
cate not  only  the  vocational  opportunity  of  to-day  but 
also  the  promise  of  to-morrow.  There  is  much  excel- 
lent material  of  this  class  which  should  be  in  our 
school  libraries.  Pupils  of  this  type  come  to  us  from 
the  university  as  well  as  from  the  grammar  and  high 
school.  They  return  periodically  for  exchange  of  opin- 
ions and  are  very  interesting  callers,  contributing  to 
the  success  of  the  department  as  well  as  receiving  in- 
formation from  it. 

A  second  type  comes  to  us  directly  from  the  school 
room  seeking  an  immediate  opening  without  oppor- 
tunity to  study  either  themselves  or  their  environment. 
They  are  more  dependent  than  the  former  type  upon 
wise  counsel  in  the  office,  and  they  run  greater  risk 
of  frequent  readjustment  after  entering  industry. 
Vocational  self -guidance,  based  on  slowly  acquired 
and  well  digested  knowledge  of  self  and  of  industry, 
is  impossible.1  Economic  pressure  forces  immediate 
decision. 

Personal  advice,  based  on  crude  tests  of  abilities 
which  I  know  to  be  required  in  various  lines,  and  a 

1  This  type  of  pupil  will  be  eliminated  as  soon  as  a  good  vocational 
information   course   is  incorporated  in   thei  elementary  curriculum. 


16  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

few  short  selections  describing  the  occupations  in 
which  there  appears  to  be  the  most  interest  are  my 
main  resources.  If  neither  parent  accompanies  the 
pupil,  I  usually  send  home  some  carefully  chosen  de- 
scriptive matter  which  I  ask  the  parents  to  read  and 
discuss  with  him.  Almost  invariably,  this  method  re- 
sults in  bringing  the  parent  to  the  office  when  the 
pupil  returns  for  a  second  interview.  It  is  not  uncom- 
mon for  grammar  school  teachers  and  principals  to 
accompany  pupils  of  this  class  for  their  first  inter- 
view. Some  have  the  aptitudes  and  abilities  of  their 
charges  definitely  outlined  and  are  only  asking  us  to 
contribute  the  vocational  information  which  is  neces- 
sary for  wise  decision.  In  such  cases  the  teacher  is 
usually  in  touch  with  the  home  and  represents  the 
parents  as  well  as  the  school.  Sometimes  the  parents 
are  present.  Conferences  of  this  class  are  ideal  voca- 
tional guidance  (barring  lack  of  time  to  acquire  in- 
formation), the  parent,  teacher  and  vocational  direc- 
tor co-operating  in  the  best  interests  of  the  child. 
When  the  privilege  and  responsibility  of  guidance  is 
shared  in  this  way  it  is  apt  to  result  in  the  teacher 
co-operating  with,  or  even  leading,  the  central  office  if 
errors  are  to  be  corrected  or  readjustments  made. 
There  are  certain  schools  in  the  city  which  are  rapidly 
assuming  the  responsibility  for  vocational  guidance 
within  their  province,  leaving  leadership  only  to  the 
central  office. 

A  third  type  is  represented  by  the  youth  who, 
eliminated  from  school  in  his  younger  years  is  now 
eliminated  also  from  industry.  Embittered  by  his 
failure  in  school  and  sobered  by  his  experience  in  in- 
dustry, he  turns  to  the  vocational  department  as  the 
last  hope,  or  is  forced  to  turn  to  it  by  some  employer 
who  refuses  to  consider  his  application  without  a  cen- 
tral office  recommendation.  More  parents  have  come 
to  us  asking  advice  for  this  eliminated-from-school, 
eliminated-from-industry  type  than  for  all  other  types 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  17 

together.  Many  of  these  boys  and  girls  had  little  to 
offer  when  they  left  school  and  have  steadily  degen- 
erated in  manners  and  morals  since  leaving.  The  atti- 
tude of  the  individual  suggests  the  method.  Some  are 
required  to  report  to  us  regularly  after  working  hours 
for  discussion  and  advice  and  the  office  is  kept  open 
in  the  evening  for  that  purpose.  Others  are  more  in 
need  of  sympathetic  interest  than  anything  else  and 
to  assure  them  of  our  continued  assistance  will  bring 
them  back  frequently  of  their  own  volition.  Whatever 
method  is  employed  these  are  the  most  trying  cases 
that  come  into  the  office.  No  sincere  vocational  di- 
rector can  fail  to  realize  that  possibly  each  individual 
applicant  is  offering  society,  through  his  instrumen- 
tality, its  last  chance  for  educational  guidance.  The 
burden  of  responsibility  for  this  type  of  callers  is 
very  great.  I  think  I  may  safely  say  that  no  boy  or 
girl  within  this  category  ever  leaves  the  office  with- 
out my  pausing  to  ask:  "Have  I  done  my  best  to 
help  him  find  the  way  out?" 

In  many  instances  casual  remarks  indicate  how 
our  schools  have  helped  or  hindered  these  boys  on 
life's  journey.  We  need  this  kind  of  reaction  in  order 
to  help  us  to  realize  what  our  schools  really  mean  in 
terms  of  success  and  failure,  and  we  need  it  in  order 
to  interpret  correctly  the  statistics  of  elimination. 

Just  what  we  have  accomplished  for  this  type  of 
pupil  I  do  not  know — perhaps  it  is  not  intended  that 
we  shall  know — but  I  believe  that  the  effort  is  worth 
continuing  and  I  have  faith  enough  in  humanity  to 
believe  that  the  results  will  be  commensurate  with 
the  responsibility. 

II.    ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  VOCATIONAL  DEPARTMENT 

Suggestions  relative  to  the  organization  of  a  vo- 
cational department  were  outlined  in  the  preliminary 
report  of  April  1st.  They  were  the  same  as,  or  are  in 
harmony  with,  the  suggestions  that  follow. 


18  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

A.    Director  of  Vocational  Guidance1 

A  Director  of  Vocational  Guidance  should  stand 
at  the  head  of  the  system  and  should  unify  under  his 
supervision  the  work  at  present  handled  by  the  at- 
tendance office,  the  advisory  side  of  evening  school  in- 
struction and  all  vocational  information  courses  or 
vocational  guidance  efforts  carried  on  in  the  indi- 
vidual schools.  If  student  aid,  or  any  other  form  of 
free  employment  or  placement,  is  carried  on  in  con- 
nection with  the  school  system,  this  also  should  be 
centralized  and  placed  under  the  control  of  the  di- 
rector. 

Visits  to  business  houses  for  the  purpose  of  secur- 
ing vocational  knowledge,  inspecting  industrial  pro- 
cesses and  judging  occupational  requirements  are  most 
desirable,  but  I  believe  that  we  would  create  an  im- 
pression of  greater  efficiency  and  more  intelligent  su- 

1  I  have  been  asked  by  many  members  of  the  corps  why  I  recom- 
mend a  Director  of  Vocational  Guidance  rather  than  an  Assistant  Su- 
perintendent   in    charge   of  Vocational    Guidance. 

Both  systems  are  in  use  in  the  country.  When,  however,  an  Assis- 
tant Superintendent  has  charge  it  is  usually  because,  as  an  assistant 
superintendent,  he  has  instituted  and  developed  the  movement  and  con- 
t'nued  to  conduct  the  work  after  the  establishment  of  a  department. 
There  are  four  definite  reasons  fort  believing  that  vocational  guidance 
will  be  more  successful  if  carried  on  as  a  semi-independent  function 
rather  than  if  it  maintains  too  close  relations  to  the  functions  of  assis- 
tant superintendents. 

(a)  Duties  of  assistant  superintendents  are  entirely  different  in 
character  from  those  of  a  vocational  director.  When  there  is  an  addi- 
tional task  to  be  assigned  one  superintendent  can  frequently  handle  it 
as  well  as  another.  There  would  be  a  constant  tendency  to  crowd 
extraneous  matter  over  Into  the  Vocational  Department  to  the  detri- 
ment of  both  lines  of  work. 

(b)  A  junior  assistant  superintendent  assuming  the  duties  of  voca- 
tional director  can  command  a  higher  salary  than  the  average  assistant 
superintendent.  Not  necessarily  because  of  superior  ability  but  because 
the  supply  of  specialized  ability  in  this  line  does  not  equal  the  demand. 
The  same  is  not  true  of  any  of  the  older  lines  of  educational  work.  It 
will  avoid  salary  complications  if  separate  titles  be  used. 

(c)  Employers,  and  the  public  In  general,  who  have  come  to  re- 
gard the  old  lines  of  educational  work  as  deficient  in  practical  applica- 
tion, will  give  more  consideration  to  a  department  established  under 
new   terminology. 

(d)  Valuable  Information  may  often  be  secured  by  a  director  who 
Is  known  to  be  responsible  only  to  the  Board  and  Superintendent.  Fre- 
quently such  Information  could  not  be  secured  were  It  suspected  that  it 
might  become<  a  matter  of  discussion  in  a  Board  of  Superintendents. 
More  than  once  I  have  been  asked.  "With  whom  do  you  talk  these 
things  over?"  or  "To  whom  do  youj  have  to  report?"  It  has  been  a 
great  advantage  to  be  able  to  say  that  occupational  information  is  not 
passed  on  or  discussed  with  others.  I  should  like  to  see  this  advantage 
made  permanent. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  19 

pervisory  ability  if  we  were  to  see  that  pupils  who 
make  such  visits  are  familiar  with  all  the  information 
that  can  be  secured  from  the  printed  page  and  from 
class  discussion  prior  to  allowing  visitation.  In  this 
way,  pupils  would  obtain  a  basis  for  intelligent  under- 
standing and  interpretation  of  each  industry  and 
would  be  able  to  compare  Seattle  conditions  with 
those  described  in  other  cities. 

Kesponsibility  for  using  the  courtesy  and  freedom 
of  industrial  plants  so  that  a  maximum  of  knowledge 
may  be  obtained  by  the  pupils  with  a  minimum  of  in- 
convenience to  managers  should  be  one  of  the  duties 
of  a  vocational  director. 

I  do  not  include  in  my  recommendation  the  sug- 
gestion of  the  superintendent  for  the  incorporation  of 
educational  research  in  the  vocational  department. 
This  is  not  because  I  have  not  enjoyed  that  phase  of 
the  work  and  have  not  welcomed  it  while  I  was  with 
you,  but  because  I  do  not  believe  it  to  be  a  logical 
combination  with  vocational  guidance,  nor  do  I  be- 
lieve such  combination  would  work  to  the  advantage 
of  either  phase  of  the  work.  In  making  this  statement 
I  am  distinguishing  sharply  between  bona  fide  re- 
search and  the  securing  of  useful  facts  and  informa- 
tion for  vocational  guidance  puposes. 

Given  a  topic  to  investigate,  bona  fide  research  re- 
quires the  investigation  to  begin  with  conscious  ap- 
plication of  scientific  methods  and  to  terminate  with 
an  equally  scientific  presentation  of  the  conclusions 
of  the  investigation.  No  well  trained  investigator 
would  presume  to  offer  less  and  no  qualified  critic 
would  accept  less. 

The  work  which  I  have  done  on  the  occupations,  as 
well  as  that  which  is  offered  in  this  report  on  the 
evening  school  and  the  day  school  curriculum,  do  not 
rank  in  my  mind  as  scientific  work.  It  is  an  essen- 
tial and  useful  line  of  information,  a  class  of  work 
which  can  and  should  be  done  in  the  vocational  de- 


20  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 


partment  but  the  class  of  work  in  "Seattle  Children 
in  School  and  in  Industry"  and  that  now  being  done 
on  "The  Newsboy  and  the  Public  Schools"  requires 
too  close  application  of  scientific  methods,  too  much 
detailed  study  and  too  great  concentration  to  be  com- 
patible with  the  constant  interruptions  and  diversions 
of  a  vocational  office.  Both  studies  have  been  made 
under  conditions  unfavorable  to  high  class  research 
work. 

There  is  still  another  reason  for  the  separation  of 
vocational  guidance  and  research.  There  are  two  ab- 
solute essentials  for  efficient  research — ability  to  find 
the  truth  and  courage  to  tell  it.  The  research  de- 
partment will  always  find  facts  which  are  unwelcome 
to  certain  elements  in  the  teaching  corps.  If  facts 
be  not  told,  the  benefit  of  the  research  is  lost;  if  facts 
be  told,  unpopularity  is  bound  to  follow.  The  teaching 
corps  of  the  country  has  not  yet  learned  that  there 
are  many  points  of  contact  in  vocational  work,  all  to 
be  considered  and  placed  before  the  teacher:  all  more 
essential  to  the  ultimate  success  of  vocational  guid- 
ance than  the  teacher.  The  object  of  carrying  on  the 
work  in  connection  with  the  schools  is  to  broaden  the 
vision  of  the  educator  and  to  increase  his  opportu- 
nities for  service.  If  he  cannot  expand  his  horizon 
and  if  he  does  not  care  to  increase  his  opportunities 
for  service,  the  element  which  he  supplies  in  voca- 
tional work  can  be  contributed  by  other  agencies,  i.  e., 
we  cannot  organize  the  work  without  the  help  of  the 
employer — the  parent  and  child — the  labor  union  and 
the  public,  but  we  can  carry  it  on  without  the  help  of 
the  teacher.  Many  cities  are  doing  so  but  I  have 
most  earnestly  hoped  that  the  Seattle  corps  would  be 
able  to  adjust  to  this  newer  vision  of  educational 
service  and  that  it  might  secure  the  benefit  of  the 
reactions.  Until  this  broader  vision  of  service  does 
permeate  the  teaching  corps,  the  unpopularity  which 
comes  from  fact  revelation  may  handicap  a  vocational 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916,  21 

director  in  his  relation  to  class  instruction.  Eventu- 
ally it  might  be  of  educational  and  of  administrative 
advantage  to  combine  the  two  lines  of  service. 

This  objection  would,  of  course,  be  overcome  were 
there  two  co-ordinate  workers  in  the  department,  one 
assigned  to  research  and  the  other  to  guidance.  How- 
ever, in  that  case  it  would  seem  more  logical  to  com- 
bine educational  research  with  the  beginnings  of 
financial  research,  already  under  way  in  the  business 
department.  A  thoroughly  trained  research  worker 
will  readily  adjust  to  any  topic — financial,  educational, 
social,  civic  or  political,  and  would  be  at  the  com- 
mand of  all  departments. 

B.    Vocational   Guidance  in  the  Elementary   School 

In  studying  the  various  systems  of  vocational 
guidance  and  vocational  experiments  in  other  cities,  I 
have  been  impressed  with  the  fact  that  educators  in 
this  new  venture  are  inviting  anew  the  criticism  that 
we  provide  for  the  few  at  the  expense  of  the  many; 
for  the  classes,  not  the  masses.  Moreover,  I  have  con- 
stantly regretted  that  the  few  successful  experimen- 
tors  in  this  country  were  looking  toward  the  field  of 
higher  and  secondary  education  rather  than  strug- 
gling to  make  this  essentially  practical  phase  of  edu- 
cation of  real  benefit  to  the  pupils,  who  for  various 
reasons,  do  not  reach  our  secondary  schools. 

Believing,  as  I  do,  that  a  certain  amount  of  moral, 
vocational  and  educational  guidance  is  inherent  in  the 
system,  and  that  many  phases  of  vocational  guidance 
are  essentially  educational  in  character,  I  should  like 
to  recommend  that  a  course  in  vocational  information 
be  organized  and  incorporated  in  the  grammar  school 
curriculum  and  that  the  best  energies  for  the  coming 
year  be  concentrated  on  the  adaptation  of  this  course 
to  the  needs  of  pupils  12  to  15  years  of  age. 

Information  for  such  a  course  is  easily  collected 
and  has  been  in  our  office  awaiting  organization  over 


22  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

a  year.1    Lack  of  time,  not  lack  of  material,  has  pre- 
vented its  preparation. 

I  would  emphasize  the  importance  of  making  our 
first  organized  effort  in  the  elementary  school  for  three 
reasons : 

(1)  Boys  and  girls  who  are  eliminated  before  or 
at  the  close  of  the  grammar  school  period  are  in 
greater  need  of  vocational  assistance  than  are  high 
school  pupils.  If  definite  information  be  deferred  to 
the  high  schol  period,  they  lose  it  entirely. 

(2)  If  vocational  information  be  offered  in  the 
grammar  school,  both  the  pupil  who  goes  on  and  the 
one  who  drops  out  secure  the  benefit.  The  pupil  who 
goes  to  high  school  should  have  acquired  basic  in- 
formation and  should  have  established  habits  of 
thought,  which  will  assist  him  to  guide  himself,  rein- 
forced as  he  will  be  by  the  better  mental  background. 

(3)  Teachers  in  the  elementary  schools  are  better 
equipped  to  make  a  success  of  a  functioning  course 
than  are  high  school  teachers.2  The  significance  of  the 
vocational  guidance  movement  has  been  more  readily 
grasped  by  grammar  school  teachers  and  the  most 
successful  efforts  toward  adapting  it  to  Seattle  needs 
have  come  from  the  same  source. 

The  series  of  vocational  meetings,  organized  for 
the  assistance  of  such  teachers  as  might  be  interested, 
have  been  attended  beyond  our  expectation  but  almost 
exclusively  by  grammar  school  teachers  and  prin- 
cipals. 

In  the  list  of  447  calls  made  in  our  office  by  the 
corps  the  names  of  but  seventeen  high  school  teachers 

1  It  Includes:  (a)  information  on  our  industrial,  civic  and  social  life 
combined  with  local  geography  and  history;  (b)  legislation  affecting 
health,  safety  and  wage;  (c)  studies  of  several  of  the  most  Important 
industries  in  detail. 

A  number  of  the  teachers  who  have  been  associated  with  the  Sat- 
urday morning  study  class  would  be  of  assistance  in  preparing  this 
course. 

*  This  does  not  apply  to  the  vocational  courses  and  vocational 
teachers  in  the  high  school,  but  is  a  general  statement  relative  to  high 
school  and  elementary  teachers  throughout   the  city  and  country. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  23 

appear.  Several  of  these  came  in  response  to  our 
request,  not  seeking  co-operation  of  their  own  voli- 
tion. To  some  extent  this  may  be  explained  by  the 
fact  that  grammar  school  teachers  are  more  generally 
professionally  trained  and  that  the  value  of  a  subject 
to  pupils  is  less  apt  to  be  influenced  by  the  tradi- 
tional curriculum. 

It  may  further  be  explained  by  the  fact  that  a  vo- 
cational department  has  more  points  of  contact  than 
any  of  the  older  lines  of  educational  work;  that  it 
must  study  many  phases  of  community  life  not  here- 
tofore included  in  the  field  of  education,  and  that  it 
has  many  viewpoints  beside  that  of  the  teacher  to 
consider.  Education  is  controlled  by  the  public.  Its 
secrets  are  public  secrets  and  its  successes  and  fail- 
ures are  always  open  to  public  discussion.  Competi- 
tion in  private  enterprises  is  keen  and  requires  a  form 
of  discretion  not  necessary  in  the  educational  field 
but  vitally  necessary  in  the  vocational  field  if  we  are 
to  retain  the  confidence  of  business  houses.  Some- 
times a  vocational  director  will  not  be  able  to  explain 
the  circumstances  which  are  behind  his  decisions. 
Helpful  co-operation  may  often  be  required  where 
definite  explanations  cannot  be  given.  Grammar 
school  teachers  are  accustomed  to  central  supervision 
and  leadership.  They  are  usually  willing  to  assume 
an  extra  burden,  either  temporary  or  permanent,  if  it 
appears  advantageous  to  the  pupils  and  they  have 
acquired  the  ability  to  co-operate  readily  and  effec- 
tively. High  school  teachers  are  inclined  to  resent 
any  form  of  leadership  or  supervision  which  comes 
from  without  the  individual  building.  Unconsciously 
they  have  become  both  too  self-centered  and  too  self- 
satisfied  to  analyze  new  problems  as  readily,  or  incor- 
porate new  activities  as  easily,  as  do  the  grammar 
schools. 

This  condition  is  not  peculiar  to  Seattle,  nor  is  it 
the  fault  of  our  teachers  individually.     Rather  is  it 


24  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

due  to  the  difference  in  systems  which  prepare  ele- 
mentary and  high  school  teachers  for  service  and  to 
the  fact  that  high  school  teachers  are  highly  special- 
ized in  traditional  non-functioning  studies  which  have 
a  tendency  to  narrow  their  horizon  and  limit  their 
ability  to  weigh  impartially  new  subject  matter.  The 
high  school  teacher  is  also  at  a  serious  disadvantage 
regarding  training  in  service.  Reasons  for  elimina- 
tion in  the  high  school  indicate  that  when  more  super- 
visory attention  is  given  to  the  after-training  of  high 
school  teachers  we  shall  have  taken  a  long  step  toward 
solving  this  problem. 

C.    Vocational  Guidance  in  the  High  School 

Vocational  guidance  should  not  cease  at  the  close 
of  the  grammar  school  period.  In  some  form,  it 
should  continue  for  both  the  pupil  who  enters  high 
school  and  the  pupil  who  enters  industry.1 

The  pupil  who  enters  high  school  from  the  voca- 
tional information  course  of  the  grammar  school  and 
who  has  established  the  habit  of  acquiring  informa- 
tion along  civic  and  industrial  lines  will  have  taken 
a  long  step  toward  solving  the  most  important  ques- 
tion of  his  high  school  course — the  choice  of  a  voca- 
tion. How  shall  he  be  encouraged,  through  the  in- 
strumentality of  the  high  school  to  build  on  the  foun- 
dation already  laid? 

There  is  as  yet  no  system  of  vocational  guidance 
in  our  high  schools  and  here,  as  in  the  grammar 
schools,  the  field  may  be  organized  as  the  judgment 
of  the  new  director  indicates.  Considerable  voca- 
tional work  has  been  done  by  the  commercial  and 
manual  training  teachers  but  this  class  of  guidance 
is,  as  has  been  said  before,  educational  guidance  and 
is  inherent  in  the  system.  It  corresponds  more  nearly 
to  the  guidance  of  the  Corporation  Schools,  guidance 

1  The  type  of  guidance  best  adapted  to  pupils  who  enter  Industry  Is 
discussed  on  page  31. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 


within  the  industry,  or  the  department,  rather  than 
guidance  in  selecting  the  industry  or  department. 

Employment  up  to  date  has  received  more  atten- 
tion from  the  high  school  than  has  guidance1. 

Analyzation  of  the  problem  would  seem  to  indi- 
cate three  definite  lines,  through  any  or  all  of  which 
vocational  guidance  might  be  continued  in  the  high 
school. 

1.  Through  the  Librarian. 

2.  Through  the  Class  Teacher. 

3.  Through  Civic-Industrial  Clubs. 

1.     Vocational  Guidance  Through  the  Library 

It  would  be  logical  that  the  librarian  by  virtue  of 
her  position  should  assume  responsibility  for  whatever 
general  vocational  guidance  there  may  be  in  the  high 
school.  No  matter  how  we  organize  the  central  de- 
partment the  school  librarian  is  bound  to  be  of  great 
service — the  first  assistant  and  the  most  important 
ally  of  the  director. 

The  first  step  in  the  use  of  school  libraries  for  pur- 
poses of  vocational  guidance  is  to  vocationalize  our 
libraries. 

There  never  has  been  a  time  when  successful  busi- 
ness men  were  so  willing  to  give  their  experience  in 
print,  and  there  never  has  been  a  time  when  other 
business  men,  and  those  training  for  business,  have 
been  able  to  learn  as  much  from  this  experience  which 
appears  in  print.  Magazines,  of  various  kinds,  are 
full  of  vocational  information  and  advice  from  the 
pens  of  the  ablest  men  in  the  country. 

There  is  also  much  material  in  pamphlet  and  in 
book  form,  not  directly  from  the  pen  of  business  men, 
but  based  upon  information  secured  from  both  em- 
ployer and  employee.    Books  of  this  class  are  the  out- 

1  One  hundred  and  four  positions  have  been  filled  by  the  high 
schools  this  year,  nearly  all  by  one  school.  Exact  tabulation  will  be 
found  in  the  third  section  of  the  report. 


26  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

growth  of  the  vocational  guidance  movement.  They 
are  the  result  of  conscious  effort  on  the  part  of  their 
writers,  and  the  organizations  which  they  represent, 
to  secure  and  tabulate  scientific  information  for  school 
use.  This  material  should  be  collected,  kept  up  to 
date,  and  brought  to  bear  on  the  problems  of  youth.1 

Review  of  the  material  now  in  our  school  libraries 
and  of  the  standardized  list  recommended  for  pur- 
chase2 indicates  that  teachers  and  librarians  do  not 
place  on  this  class  of  educational  material,  the  im- 
portance which  it  merits.  The  commercial,  manual 
training  and  home  economics  departments  are  well 
equipped  for  guidance  within  their  own  field  but  the 
list  under  "Sociology  and  Vocational  Guidance"  is 
very  limited  and  not  well  selected  considering  the 
wealth  of  material  from  which  choice  can  be  -made. 

If  high  school  girls  can  have  but  one  book  on  vo- 
cations, should  it  be  "Vocations  for  the  Trained 
Woman"?  Knowledge  of  the  occupations  which  our 
high  school  girls  enter  answer  this  question  in  the 
negative.  Barring  the  girls  who  have  commercial 
training  they  enter  unskilled  lines  and  rank  as  un- 
trained workers.  This  is  a  good  book  for  college 
preparatory  girls  but  it  has  little  to  offer  the  large 
majority  of  our  high  school  girls. 

It  might  be  suggestive,  also,  to  compare  the  num- 
ber of  books  recommended  for  specialized  lines  with 
the  number  recommended  for  general  vocational  guid- 

1 1  have  an  excellent  vocational  library  which  has  been  used  ex- 
tensively by  both  teachers  and  pupils.  It  is  indexed  and  cross-refer- 
enced. 

Those  who  are  not  familiar  with  this  class  of  material  will  find  the 
bibliographies  in  Appendix  No.  1  exceedingly  helpful  in  making  se- 
lections. 

In  the  Report  on  the  Administrative  Problems  of  the  Vocational 
Schools  of  Mass.  1916  we  find  the  following  announcement:  "The  whole 
matter  of  books,  periodicals  and  catalogs  will  be  thoroughly  discussed 
and  Investigated  by  the  agents  of  the  Board  this  coming  year  until  the 
best  material  available  for  school  use  has  been  found."  We  should 
watch   for  the  results  of  such   Investigations. 

*  Books  recommended  for  Seattle  High  School  Libraries,  compiled 
according  to  the  Requirements  and  Recommendations  of  Supervisors, 
Department   Heads   and   Librarians.      Seattle   1916. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  27 

ance1 — one  of  the  most  important  phases  of  school 
life. 

Art  and  Design  comprises  a  list  of 39 

Commercial  Subjects  65 

Latin 20 

Fiction A  long  list  of  both  old  and  new 

Vocational  Guidance  4 

Again,  we  find  a  much  larger  list  on  ancient  and 
mediaeval  social  life  than  on  modern  American  life. 
There  is  nothing  offered  in  American  life  to  compare 
with: 

"In  the  Days  of  Chaucer,"  "In  the  Days  of  Gold- 
smith, "In  the  Days  of  Milton,"  "In  the  Days  of 
Scott,"  "In  the  Days  of  Shakespeare,"  or  "Social  Life 
at  Home  in  the  Days  of  Cicero." 

In  selecting  our  travel  books  we  might  also  remem- 
ber that  our  future  commercial  relations  will  prob- 
ably be  largely  with  the  Orient  and  South  America. 

The  non-fiction  supplementary  reading  list  is  open 
to  criticism  on  the  same  basis.  English  VI.  offers 
approximately  sixty  topics.  Eight  of  these  are  as  fol- 
lows: (1)  Chapters  from  William  Shakespeare,  (2) 
Shakespeare,  His  Mind  and  Art,  (3)  Character  of 
Shakespeare's  Women,  (4)  Life  of  Shakespeare,  (5) 
Shakespeare,  Poet,  Dramatist,  Man,  (6)  Shakespeare 
as  a  Dramatic  Artist,  (7)  Shakespeare's  London,  (8) 
English  History  in  Shakespeare's  Days.  There  is  noth- 
ing whatever  on  the  problems  of  Modern  American 
Life.  The  other  English  courses  seem  to  be  a  little 
more  liberal  but  the  question  is — is  this  class  of  non- 
fiction  the  best  that  we  can  offer  the  average  high 
school  pupil? 

Comparing  the  limited  topics  offered  in  the  Eng- 
lish reading  course  with  the  wide  range  of  topics 
which  pupils  are  interested  in  outside  of  school  work, 

1  Girls  are  forced  by  the  nature  of  our  selection  to  depend  almost 
entirely  on  home  economics. 


28  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1 913-1916. 

we  are  forced  to  admit  that  the  pupils  have  made  the 
wiser  choice.  Many  a  boy,  in  conversation  on  voca- 
tional subjects,  has  indicated  his  desire  for  a  different 
school  course  in  non-fiction. 

Would  the  class  of  material  which  we  are  suggest- 
ing be  used?  Most  certainly  it  would,  especially 
under  the  guiding  hand  of  the  librarian. 

I  have  had  an  office  at  the  Board  rooms  two  years 
and  two  months.  During  that  time  I  have  purchased 
for  my  own  use  over  $300  worth  of  the  type  of  mate- 
rial under  discussion.  Some  of  my  books  have  been 
loaned  and  reloaned  until  they  are  worn  out.  For 
some  we  have  kept  a  waiting  list.  Books  are  borrowed 
from  my  office  by  the  same  class  of  pupils  for  whom 
our  high  school  libraries  exist.  The  right  book  put 
into  the  hands  of  the  right  pupil  at  the  right  time  by 
the  right  person  is  high  class  vocational  guidance. 
One  illustration  will  indicate  the  practical  applica- 
tion of  this  theory : 

Charles,  15  years  of  age,  entered  high  school  in  Septem- 
ber, 1915.  He  was  not  high  school  material  to  begin  with, 
which  complicated  the  problem  both  for  him  and  for  the  school. 
At  the  end  of  the  first  quarter  there  were  two  "poor  work" 
slips,  and  the  mother,  who  supports  the  family,  brought  the 
boy  to  the  office.  Here  was  a  boy  about  to  be  eliminated  from 
school  with  an  excellent  foundation  for  future  elimination 
from  industry.  This  was  all  that  the  first  interview  revealed. 
During  the  second  interview,  accident  indicated  where  his  real 
interest  lay.  He  was  haunting  the  windows  of  our  various 
shoe  stores — studying,  with  the  glass  between — the  makes, 
lasts,  prices  and  materials.  The  moment  he  had  the  opportu- 
nity to  discuss  the  "shoe  business"  he  was  alive  with  curiosity 
and  interest. 

Having  found  his  interest  I  gave  him  two  excellent  books 
on  the  "Shoe  Industry."  At  the  third  visit  he  had  decided 
what  he  wanted  to  do.  I  did  not  "get  a  position"  for  him  be- 
cause I  believe  that  our  function  lies  in  helping  pupils  to  find 
their  own  openings  rather  than  in  finding  these  openings  for 
them,  but  I  advised  him  to  call  at  our  shoe  factories,  present 
his  interests  and  offer  his  services.  He  did  so.  It  is  true  that 
ne  has  been  eliminated  from  school  but  up  to  the  date  of  writ- 
ing he  is  making  good  in  the  shoe  factory  and  is  happy  in  his 
work. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  29 

The  second  step  in  the  nse  of  our  libraries  for  the 
purpose  of  vocational  guidance  is  to  arouse  our  libra- 
rians to  a  realization  of  their  great  opportunity  for 
social  and  vocational  service. 

During  the  period  of  my  investigation,  no  school 
librarian  has  ever  been  in  my  office  either  to  offer  me 
professional  assistance  in  selecting,  cataloging,  and 
cross-referencing  my  material,  or  to  ask  for  my  advice 
as  to  material  for  her  department.  It  takes  time  and 
considerable  assistance  from  specialists  to  decide  upon 
reliable  vocational  material  but  ability  to  do  this  is 
included  in  the  librarians'  training.  I  should  have 
welcomed  their  assistance  and  I  should  have  respond- 
ed promptly  to  their  demand  had  they  asked  for  the 
results  of  our  office  experience.1 

In  contrast  with  the  attitude  of  our  high  school 
librarians  it  is  well  to  mention  the  decidedly  profes- 
sional attitude  of  the  public  librarians.  From  the 
very  inception  of  the  work,  the  public  library  has  vis- 
ited our  office  many  times  seeking  and  offering  co- 
operation. Our  list  of  recommended  books  has  been 
exchanged  for  theirs,  and  I  have  addressed  their  full 
corps  on  the  possibilities  of  co-operation  along  educa- 
tional lines.  Scores  of  boys  and  girls  from  our  sys- 
tem have  been  sent  by  me  to  the  public  library  for 
definite  vocational  assistance.  Never  has  a  boy  or 
girl,  returning  to  me  from  such  a  visit,  been  other 
than  pleased  with  the  information  and  assistance 
given. 

It  is  somewhat  of  a  mortification  to  me  to  admit 
this  unfavorable  comparison  and  I  think  we  may  well 
pause  to  ask  why  it  should  be  so.  Our  librarians  re- 
ceive higher  salaries  than  do  the  city  librarians  and 
they  work  shorter  hours.  This  is  because  they  are 
supposed  to   have  the  double  training  necessary  for 

1 1  have  often  been  tempted  to  ask  for  the  assistance  of  the  librar- 
ians but*  on  the  whole  the  policy  of  the  superintendent  in  permitting 
perfect  freedom  for  volunteer  work;  during  the  experimental  stage  of 
the  work  has  probably  been  best. 


30  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

both  the  teacher  and  the  librarian.  Possibly,  in 
our  effort  to  emphasize  the  teacher  side  of  our  school 
librarians,  we  have  sacrificed  too  much  on  the  librarian 
side.  Possibly  we  would  do  better  to  require  library 
experience  as  well  as  library  training — for  it  is  an  un- 
questioned fact  that  the  usefulness  of  the  librarian 
which  comes  only  from  library  experience  under  strict 
supervision,  is  not  found  to  be  satisfactory  in  our  pub- 
lic schools. 

If  our  librarians  do  not  have  leadership  among 
themselves,  if  our  high  school  principals  do  not  have 
that  class  of  supervisory  knowledge  which  can  in- 
crease the  value  of  our  school  library  and  if  the  cen- 
tral office  cannot  remedy  this  defect,  I  think  it  would 
be  well  to  place  the  librarian  duties  of  these  officials 
under  the  supervision  of  the  Public  Library.1 

2.    Vocational  Guidance  Through  the  Class  Teacher' 

As  has  been  indicated  under  the  discussion  on 
grammar  school  guidance,  it  would  seem  that  before 
class  teachers  can  contribute  very  much  to  vocational 
guidance,  they  will  have  to  acquire  a  broader  vision 
of  life  and  much  information  beyond  the  subject  mat- 
ter of  their  specialty.  I  am  very  optimistic  that  this 
will  come  in  time  and  that  a  large  portion  of  voca- 
tional guidance  will  become  educational  guidance  and 
be  freely  offered  by  each  teacher. 

8.     Vocational  Guidance  Through  Civic-Industrial  Addresses 

Chicago,  and  several  other  cities  of  the  country, 
are  obtaining  very  definite  vocational  results  through 
the  instrumentality  of  Civic-Industrial  Clubs  organ- 

»  The  city  library  is  one  of  our  very  best  co-operative  agencies.  Its 
assistance  has  been  invaluable,  but  I  believe  that  the  adaptation  of  ma- 
terial to  the  pupil's  abilities  and  needs  and  the  methods  of  utilizing  the 
same  are  within  the  province  of  the  educator  rather  than  within  that 
of  the  librarian.  We  should  keep  the  pedagogical  viewpoint  but  In  so 
doing  it  should  not  be  necessary  to  sacrifice  the  librarians'  viewpoint, 
especially  if  we  require  after  training  under  library  supervision. 

*  Each  teacher  Is  consciously  or  unconsciously  a  vocational  guide. 
Some  are  very  good  guides,  some  very  poor.  To  make  the  good  better 
and  the  poor  good  is  one  duty  of  the  director. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  31 

ized  purposely  for  the  benefit  of  the  young.1  Such  a 
club,  composed  of  commercial  teachers  and  senior  stu- 
dents, might  be  an  excellent  aid  to  our  high  school 
departments.  Senior  students  should  be  given  credit 
for  attendance  and  the  information  secured  should 
form  the  basis  of  class  discussion. 

B.    Vocational  Guidance  for  Eliminated  Pupils 

Vitalizing  the  elementary  course  is  bound  to  keep 
many  in  school  who  would  otherwise  drop  out.  For 
those  who  stay  we  have  the  problem  of  educational 
guidance  and  educational  adjustment.  It  is  well  for 
us  to  furnish  vocational  information  in  our  curricu- 
lum, and  it  is  well  for  us  to  study  the  aptitudes  and 
abilities  of  those  whom  we  keep  until  the  completion 
of  the  course,  but  this  is  not  our  only  problem.  We 
have  a  second  responsibility — the  pupil  who,  no  mat- 
ter what  the  curriculum  may  offer,  and  no  matter  how 
carefully  the  educational  adjustment  may  be  made,  is 
still  disinclined,  or  unable,  to  remain  in  school.  Voca- 
tional, not  educational  adjustment,  is  his  problem. 
What  can  the  schools  offer  him  in  place  of  the  educa- 
tional supervision  which  is  offered  our  high  school 
youth?  EMPLOYMENT  SUPERVISION.  And  it 
may  be  that  we  shall  have  to  go  one  step  further 
and  help  him  to  find  his  opportunity  in  industry.  We 
may  call  this  function  of  a  vocational  department 
placement,  service  or  free  employment.  Terminology 
does  not  matter  so  long  as  we  realize  in  practice  that 
those  who  cannot  avail  themselves  of  our  help  within 
the  school  room  are  entitled  to  guidance  without? 

Personally,  I  am  particularly  averse  to  the  term 
"free  employment"  because  it  is  so  universally  con- 
nected with  a  class  of  placement  which  is  no  part  of 
the  educational  system,  and  is  therefore  apt  to  lead  to 
misunderstanding  and  false  interpretation  of  the  real 

1  Chicago  Commerce  describes  these  clubs.  Providence,  R.  I.,  has  a 
Junior  Chamber  of  Commerce  for  the  same  purpose. 

2  All  under  18  should  be  included. 


32  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

purpose  of  vocational  guidance.  At  the  same  time, 
it  matters  not  by  what  name  we  call  it,  we  are  forced 
to  admit  that  "giving  a  job"  is  often  the  most  impor- 
tant factor  in  successful  counseling.  Politicians  long 
ago  recognized  this — why  not  profit  by  their  experi- 
cence? 

We  have  carried  on  in  the  vocational  department 
a  system  of  placement  and  employment  supervision 
which  has  seemed  to  me  to  be  entirely  in  harmony 
with  educational  standards  and  motives,  and  to  have 
accomplished  definite  results  for  the  betterment  of 
the  individual  and  for  the  improvement  of  the  system. 

It  is  based  upon  the  following  principles  and  prac- 
tices : 

(a)  We  have  never  solicited  employment,  nor  have 
we  made  any  effort  to  attract  demands  for  employ- 
ment. Our  patronage  has  come  to  us  through  the 
best  form  of  advertising — satisfaction  with  our  prod- 
uct. One  satisfied  customer  has  passed  on  his  experi- 
ence to  others  and  our  list  of  co-operating  houses  has 
steadily  increased.  Moreover,  solicitations  from  the 
occupation  opens  the  way  for  an  educational  form  of 
employment  supervision  which  would  hardly  be  pos- 
sible were  solicitation  to  come  from  the  department. 

(b)  WThen,  through  our  instrumentality,  the  needs 
of  employer  and  employee  are  made  known  to  each 
other,  we  do  not  utilize  "free  employment"  methods 
nor  do  we  "place"  a  pupil.  We  act  in  the  capacity  of 
a  service  bureau,  explaining  the  position  and  its  de- 
mands but  leaving  the  decision  regarding  application 
to  the  pupil  and  his  parents.  If,  in  our  association 
with  the  applicant,  we  have  noticed  any  defect  in 
manner  or  speech  we  call  attention  to  it  and  indicate 
the  desirability  of  change,  but  the  ultimate  decision 
rests  with  him.  If  his  decision  be  affirmative,  we 
give  him  an  introduction  containing  the  school  esti- 
mate of  his  qualities  and  suggest  the  best  methods 
of   presenting   himself,   advertising  his   abilities   and 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  33 

sizing  up  his  prospective  employer.  If  a  position  be 
accepted,  both  employer  and  employee  understand 
that  the  educational  system  expects  satisfaction,  prog- 
ress and  promotion  and  is  ready  to  co-operate  toward 
that  end.1 

By  this  system  we  have  been  able  to  render  great 
service  to  both  employer  and  employee  and  at  the 
same  time  secure  reactions  of  incalculable  value  to 
the  school  system.  Sometimes  the  employer  calls  on 
us  for  help.     Sometimes  the  pupil. 

Example  I.  Joe,  age  15,  came  to  the  office  after  the  hours 
of  closing  one  Saturday  afternoon.  In  an  embarrassed,  awk- 
ward manner  he  announced  that  he  did  not  like  his  position 
and  wanted  to  change.  On  the  surface  the  logical  conclusion 
in  these  cases  is  always  the  same,  "got  tired  and  wanted  a 
change."  I  made  many  errors  of  this  kind  in  my  first  experi- 
ence and  have  learned  to  look  beyond  the  surface  before  I 
accept  any  first  reason. 

The  boy  finally  admitted  that  he  had  been  unable  to  meet 
the  demands  of  the  position.  In  a  line  of  work  rather  better 
adapted  to  the  qualifications  of  a  girl  he  had  been  unable  to 
adjust  himself  to  the  requirements.  Knowledge  of  his  errors 
had  increased  his  nervousness  and  failure  was  imminent 

It  was  only  necessary  to  assure  Joe  that  he  had  done  ex- 
actly the  right  thing  in  recognizing  his  own  limitations  instead 
of  waiting  for  discharge  and  to  write  a  note  to  the  manager 
of  the  house  explaining  the  situation  and  asking  for  transfer 
to  another  department  better  suited  to  his  abilities.  This 
transfer  was  given  with  a  compliment  on  his  good  judgment 
and  he  is  now  well  pleased  and  entirely  satsfactory. 

Service  in  finding  the  position  gave  us  our  oppor- 
tunity to  render  service  in  adjusting. 

Example  II.  Charles,  age  14,  was  sure  he  wanted  to  be  a 
machinist.  He  secured  a  position  which  he  retained  ten  days. 
He  then  went  to  a  commercial  house  and  undertook  office  boy 
work.  This  position  he  kept  about  a  weeK,  leaving  voluntarily. 
After  seeking  another  opportunity  for  several  weeks  and  fail- 
ing to  find  anything,  the  mother!  called  us  up  to  know  if  we 
could  assist  him.  I  explained  at  some  length  that  it  seemed 
to  me  to  be  a  problem  for  the  home  and  the  boy,  not  for  me. 
She  then  sought  the  employment  manager  at  the  shop  and 
asked  another  chance.  He  also  told  her  that  Charlie's  prob- 
lem was  for  the  home  and  the  boy,  not  for  him,  but  he  came 
directly  over  to  the  office  and  made  the  following  proposition 
in  the  interests  of  the  boy.     If  we  would  call  in  the  mother 

1  The  blank  which  is  used  for  this  purpose  is  found  in  Appendix  II. 


34  Vocational  Guidance  Report  19 1 3- 191 6. 


and  boy  and  find  out  the  cause  of  instability  in  the  boy,  and 
the  lack  of  home  responsibility  on  the  mother's  part,  on  our 
recommendation,  and  with  our  co-operation  in  employment  su- 
pervision, he  would  accept  the  boy.  We  phoned  the  mother 
to  bring  him  in.  She  replied  that  she  was  too  busy  but  would 
send  the  boy  alone.  We  then  told  her  emphatically  that  she 
could  not  shift  the  responsibility  of  her  son's  future  to  the 
school  department,  we  were  not  the  primary  factor  in  his 
success  but  were  more  than  glad  to  be  a  co-opera'ting  factor. 
She  would  either  come  with  the  boy  or  not  send  him.  She 
came,  and  at  the  end  of  an  hour  both  mother  and  boy  appeared 
to  have  a  different  conception  of  "work."  We  recommended 
him  for  a  second  trial,  the  mother  promising  assistance  in  as- 
suming responsibility  for  his  industry  and  perseverance. 

It  was  placing  the  boy  originally  that  caused  the 
employer  to  offer  us  an  opportunity  to  help  in  adjust- 
ment. 

Example  III.     Frank,  aged  14,  had  a  permit  to  work  for 
One  morning  about  9:30  he  walked  into  the  office 


and  asked  us  to  find  him  a  new  job.  He  admitted  that  he  had 
failed  to  appear  that  morning  at  the  usual  hour  and  had  given 
his  employer  no  notice,  nor  had  he  consulted  his  parents. 
There  was  nothing  the  matter  with  the  boy's  abilities  so  far 
as  the  work  was  concerned.  It  was  simply  the  "want  a  change 
spirit."  We  called  the  father  at  his  place  of  business  and  asked 
if  he  wanted  this  boy  to  change.  He  replied  somewhat  in- 
differently that  he  didn't  care  if  we  could  get  him  a  better  job. 
It  did  not  take  long  for  the  father  to  realize  that  he  had  an 
entirely  erroneous  conception  as  to  the  function  of  the  voca- 
tional department.  He  asked  me  what  I  had  told  the  boy. 
I  replied:  'To  pick  up  his  cap  and  go  back  to  work."  Very 
promptly  he  answered,  "Tell  him  I  say  pick  up  your  cap  and 
go  back  to  work,  too."    The  boy  went  back. 

I  believe  that  placement,  unsolicited,  but  responded 
to  when  asked,  should  be  a  part  of  our  vocational 
department,  because  it  will: 

(1)  Aid  boys  and  girls  through  employment  su- 
pervision to  adjust  to  their  vocational  responsibilities 
and  lessen  the  number  of  future  "unemployables." 

(2)  Help  the  schools  to  check  the  social  and  eco- 
nomic value  of  their  product. 

(3)  Secure  reactions  from  follow-up  work  which 
will  be  valuable  to  the  educational  system. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  35 

(4)  Create  respect  for  the  practical  value  of  our 
school  curriculum. 

(5)  Bring  back  under  the  influence'  of  the  schools 
many  of  the  type  of  pupils  mentioned  under  the  third 
type  of  callers  on  pages  16  and  17. 

The  two  great  dangers  of  any  form  of  placement 
must  be  constantly  watched  and  carefully  avoided. 

(1)  Allowing  vocational  guidance  to  degenerate  to 
free  employment. 

(2)  Failure  to  allow  pupils  to  utilize  and  develop 
initiative  in  securing  their  own  positions.  Not  long 
ago  a  bright  young  boy  said  to  me:  "I  came  up  to 
get  some  advice,  not  a  position.  If  I  were  a  business 
man  I  wouldn't  give  five  cents  for  a  boy  who  couldn't 
get  his  own  position.  What  I'm  looking  for  is  to  find 
out  what  kind  of  a  position  I  want  and  then  I'll  get 
it  fast  enough." 

There  is  a  certain  class  of  education  accompanying 
application  which  is  beneficial  to  our  pupils. 

E.    Tocational  Guidance  and  the  Home 

Vocational  guidance  begins  in  the  home  and  ends  in 
the  home.  The  child  who,  in  its  babyhood  is  allowed 
to  be  selfish,  discourteous,  and  impatient  will  carry 
into  its  school  life  the  fundamentals  of  failure.  The 
child  who  is  negligent  of  home  duties,  careless  in  per- 
sonal habits  and  irresponsible  in  conduct  prior  to  six 
years  of  age  will  have  laid  the  foundation  for  failure 
before  he  ever  comes  in  contact  with  the  schools.  The 
home  which  allows,  and,  I  regret  to  say,  sometimes 
fosters  habit  formations  of  this  class,  is  the  same  home 
which  will  fail  to  co-operate  with  the  school  in  develop- 
ing the  best  that  there  is  in  the  child.  I  would  not  put 
all  the  responsibility  on  the  home,  but  I  would  give  it 
the  major  part.  The  home  can  always,  and  sometimes 
does,  make  a  success  in  spite  of  the  school.  The  school 
is  more  dependent  on  the  home. 

During  the  school  period  the  parent  and  the  teacher 


36  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

are  striving  to  accomplish  the  same  end.  Each  can 
contribute  something  which  the  other  lacks,  and  each 
needs  the  co-operating  and  broadening  influence  of  the 
other  in  order  to  make  the  best  success  within  its  spe- 
cial field.  Teachers  read  from  the  pages  of  the  book 
but  the  mother  reads  direct  from  the  pages  of  life! 
Each  needs  the  assistance  of  the  other  that  life's  mean- 
ing and  purpose  may  have  a  wider  and  deeper  signi- 
ficance because  of  their  mutual  sympathy  and  under- 
standing. 

I  am  encouraged  to  believe  that  there  is,  through 
the  influence  of  the  Parent-Teacher  Association  and 
through  other  influences,  a  growing  realization  of  the 
vital  necessity  of  regarding,  and  seeking  to  make,  the 
home  the  backbone  of  the  educational  system.  The  in- 
creasing interest  and  co-operation  of  the  home  in  voca- 
tional work  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  only  about 
40  parents  came  to  our  office  during  the  first  year,  while 
during  the  ten  months  of  the  current  year  174  mothers 
and  36  fathers  have  called.  Kesponse  has  been  made 
to  131  calls  for  public  addresses,  the  larger  part  com- 
ing from  organizations  interested  in  closer  relation  be- 
tween the  school  and  the  home.  Anything  which  tends 
to  bring  the  home  and  school  into  this  desirable  rela 
tion  is  of  interest  to  and  should  be  fostered  by  the  vo- 
cational department. 

F.    Vocational  Guidance  and  Other  Social  Agencies 

If  we  admit  that  education  is  only  one  factor  in 
the  social  economy  of  the  time,  a  report  of  this  class 
will  be  incomplete  without  some  recognition  of  the  as- 
sistance we  have  received  from,  and  the  efforts  we  have 
made  to  co-operate  with,  other  agencies  which  are  com- 
panion factors  in  the  same  program  for  social  economy. 

Vocational  guidance  is  not  a  definite  field  so  much 
as  an  aspect  of  work  in  many  fields.  Analysis  of  situ- 
ations followed  by  skill  in  utilizing  any  available  re- 
sources are  part  of  the  methods  required  for  its  success. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916,  37 

Sometimes  it  is  the  mother's  pension  law,  sometimes 
the  institutional  home,  sometimes  the  Charity  Organi- 
zation Society  and  sometimes  the  physician  who  is 
needed.  Whatever  it  is,  the  vocational  director  should 
understand  its  motives  and  methods  and  should  know 
how  to  utilize  it  in  the  solution  of  his  own  particular 
problems.  During  the  year,  we  have  co-operated  with 
the  following  social  agencies  in  the  interests  of  78 
boys  or  girls:  Charity  Organization  Society,  Wash- 
ington Children's  Home,  Queen  Anne  Home,  Juvenile 
Police,  School  Physician,  Y.  W.  C.  A.,  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
Negro  Betterment  League,  Juvenile  Court,  Mother's 
Pension  Department,  Jewish  Settlement,  Catholic  Bet- 
terment League. 

G.    Vocational  Guidance  and  the  Attendance  Office 

To  the  uninitiated,  who  may  desire  to  make  a  be- 
ginning of  vocational  study,  I  offer  this  advice — study 
the  pupil  who  tries  to  leave  school,  the  child  who  would 
be  eliminated  before  he  is  did  not  the  law  forbid — study 
him  again  when  he  secures  a  labor  permit  and  enters 
industry — study  him  a  third  time  in  industry,  and, 
when  the  final  chapter  is  written,  study  him  a  fourth 
time  as  a  success  or  as  a  failure,  and  each  time  ask 
Why?  Why  did  he  wan*  to  leave?  Why  did  he  leave? 
Why  did  he  fail,  or  why  succeed? 

The  attendance  office  is  the  place  to  study  these 
problems.  When  they  are  solved,  we  shall  know  the 
causes  of  elimination  and  we  shall  have  the  knowledge 
on  which  to  remove  them.  Whether  we  succeed  or 
fail  in  so  doing  will  depend  upon  our  ability  to  adjust 
and  readjust  to  our  vocational  problem. 

Seattle,  at  the  present  time,  is  not  utilizing  her  at- 
tendance office  for  the  advancement  of  the  educational 
system  in  understanding  and  interpreting  these 
broader  and  more  important  phases  of  school  attend- 
ance. 


38  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

There  are  many  minor*  lines  of  work  extraneous  to 
the  real  duties  of  an  attendance  office  which  are  now 
handled  by  the  attendance  department,  but  the  two 
main  responsibilities  which  legitimately  belong  to 
such  a  department  are  the  enforcement  of  the  compul- 
sory education  law  and  the  granting  of  employment 
certificates. 

1.    Compulsory  Education 

In  Seattle,  the  compulsory  education  law  is  well 
enforced,  only  twelve  cases  of  effort  to  violate  having 
come  to  our  notice  this  year1,  but  as  in  most  other  cities 
the  law  is  occasionally  upheld  to  the  positive  detriment 
of  the  child.  Such  laws  are  justified  only  on  the  ground 
that  the  education  insisted  on  is  the  best  possible  edu- 
cation for  the  one  who  is  forced  to  accept  it.  When 
compulsory  education  is  opposed,  enforcement  can  be 
justified  only  on  the  ground  that  we  are  doing  the  best 
thing  possible  for  the  child.  Our  public  educational 
systems  cannot  yet  make  such  an  affirmation  and  there- 
fore there  are  times  when  it  requires  the  highest  type 
of  wisdom  and  foresight  to  hold  the  balance  of  power 
and  tip  the  scales  in  the  interest  of  the  child. 

2.    Labor  Permits 

Authority  to  issue  labor  permits  is  vested  by  stat- 
ute in  the  Superior  Courts  of  the  State.  In  King 
County,  and  in  other  counties,  this  authority  has  been 
delegated  to  the  School  Superintendent.  Just  how 
much  responsibility  for  law  enforcement  accompanies 
the  mechanical  process  of  issuing  a  permit  has  never 
been  decided.  Legal  responsibility  for  enforcement  is 
in  the  State  Labor  Department. 

There  is  a  considerable  number  of  child  labor  vio- 
lations in  Seattle.  Prior  to  taking  up  this  study  I  had 
heard  numerous  statements  relative  to  the  carelessness 


1  Seven    boys    and    five    girls.      This    is    the    Vocational    Department 
report  and  does  not   include   that  of  the  attendance  office. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  39 

of  the  school  authorities  in  allowing  many  very  young 
children  to  work  without  permits.  It  was  always  im- 
plied that  such  cases  were  violations  of  the  compul- 
sory education  law.  I  have  found  no  evidence  to  sup- 
port such  inferences  but  I  have  found  the  evidence  on 
which  such  statements  were  probably  based — the  facts 
are  apparent  but  the  interpretation  was  incorrect. 

During  the  first  year,  while  visiting  homes,  I  found 
many  girls  under  employment  age  working,  or  having 
worked,  without  permits.  They  had  complied  with 
the  compulsory  education  law  and  knew  nothing  of  the 
labor  law.  During  the  second  year,  our  opportunities 
for  observing  law  violations  were  not  very  good,  but 
during  the  present  year  we  have  had  rather  unusual 
opportunities  for  so  doing.1  School  leaving  blanks 
marked  "economic  pressure"  automatically  serve  notice 
of  law  violation.  Through  this  source  of  information, 
we  have  located  31  girls  and  15  boys  working  without 
employment  certificates.  Personal  conferences  with 
newsboys  have  been  another  excellent  source  of  infor- 
mation for  facts  regarding  labor  law  violations.  Forty- 
eight  grammar  school  boys  employed  in  newspaper 
work  are  also  employed  in  other  wage  earning  occupa- 
tions without  certificates.  They  are  under  the  legal 
age  for  such  employment  but  work  after  school  and  Sat- 
urday and  hence  do  not  violate  the  compulsory  educa- 
tion law,  although  many,  in  one  way  or  another,  are 
violating  the  minimum  wage  laws.  An  unexpected  but 
additional  verification  of  the  above  statements  came 
to  me  just  at  the  close  of  the  school  year.  A  number 
of  grammar  school  principals  did  not  understand  the 
call  for  "placement  records"  and  hence  had  pupils  fill 
out  and  send  in  to  us  the  employment  record  for  last 
year.  These  indicated  how  many  pupils  were  employed, 
at  what  age,  in  what  work,  for  what  hours  and  for 
what  wage.    About  one-fourth  of  the  blanks  so  received 

1  The  same  opportunity  is  always  at  hand  for  the  teaching  corps — 
not  individually  but   collectively. 


40  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

show  labor  law  or  minimum  wage  law  violations.  The 
mistake  of  the  grammar  school  teachers  has  served  a 
useful  purpose  and  has  pointed  the  way  for  definite 
social  service  which  can  be  easily  rendered  by  the 
schools.  Were  each  school  to  send  to  the  attendance 
office  an  "employment  record"  for  each  pupil  employed, 
it  would  be  an  easy  matter  to  check  up  law  violations 
and  issue  the  necessary  permit.  The  majority  of  these 
violations  are  boys  12  and  13  years  old,  but  there  are 
a  few  as  young  as  9  and  10. 

There  is  another  side  to  this  matter  of  law  violation 
which  it  is  well  for  teacher,  parent  and  pupil  to  under- 
stand. Our  laws  should  be  studied  and  obeyed  from 
a  practical  viewpoint  as  well  as  from  the  viewpoint  of 
civic  obligation.  Every  labor  law  on  our  statute  books 
has  been  placed  there  for  the  express  purpose  of  afford- 
ing protection  of  some  kind  to  the  laborer.1  We  have 
had  three  industrial  accidents  among  boys  and  girls 
who  have  gone  out  from  our  office.  None  was  serious, 
but  all  came  under  the  industrial  compensation  law. 
Not  one  would  have  known  what  the  laws  entitled  him 
to  or  the  methods  by  which  it  was  secured  had  we  not 
included  guidance  in  the  use  of  laws  in  our  conception 
of  vocational  guidance.  What  is  even  more  interesting, 
and  what  might  not  occur  again  in  years,  is  that  one 
of  the  injured  was  a  girl  almost  16  years  of  age.  Her 
compensation  depended  upon  the  legality  of  her  em- 
ployment.' We  were  called  up  to  ascertain  the  condi- 
tions of  employment  and  were  told  that  compensation 
would  have  been  refused  had  she  been  employed  with- 
out a  permit. 

At  the  present  time,  pupils  either  do  not  know  the 
laws  or  do  not  feel  any  personal  responsibility  for 
complying  with  them.  Were  they  to  be  told  of  this  in- 
cident and  were  they  to  understand  the  necessity  of 

1  Study  of  labor  laws  should  be  Included  in  the  vocational  informa- 
tion course  suggested   for  the   grammar  schools. 

*  Probably  the  law  violation  would  have  come  back  on  the  em- 
ployer,  who  would  have  settled  the  bill. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  41 

utilizing  all  labor  legislation  for  self-protection  they 
would  take  more  responsibility  for  law  enforcement 
themselves. 

For  many  reasons,  the  granting  of  labor  permits  is 
a  logical  function  of  the  vocational  department.  Grant- 
ing the  permit  often  affords  us  our  best  opportunity 
for  offering  vocational  guidance.  It  comes  on  the 
threshold  of  a  new  life  and  if  carefully  given  will  bring 
the  pupil  back  to  us  foil  help  in  adjustment  when  the 
first  difficulty  arises.  During  the  present  year,  we  have 
granted  most  of  the  labor  permits1  and  I  have  been 
especially  grateful  for  the  opportunity  so  afforded  to 
reach  the  pupil  and  the  home. 

3.    Educational  Research 

The  modern  attendance  office,  by  virtue  of  its  unex- 
celled opportunities  for  study,  is  coming  to  be  recog- 
nized as  the  best  agency  for  investigation  of  the  causes 
of,  and  remedies  for,  school  and  industrial  elimination. 
In  some  cities  the  attendance  office  has  expanded  upon 
its  own  initiative  into  a  vocational  department.  Be- 
fore this  can  come  about  the  educational  character  of 
the  attendance  department  must  be  fully  realized  and 
its  police  functions  reduced  to  the  minimum. 

The  methods  of  Seattle's  attendance  office  belong 
to  the  old  regime  in  education  and  I  doubt  the  possibil- 
ity of  a  change  under  present  conditions.  I  therefore 
recommend  that  the  attendance  office  be  consolidated 
with  the  vocational  department  and  that  the  vocational 
director  be  placed  in  charge  of  both  lines  of  work.  This 
is  recommended  for  the  following  reasons: 

(1)  The  attendance  department  is  not  utilizing  its 
opportunities  to  the  best  advantage  of  the  pupils  whom 
it  handles,  and  more  than  that,  because  of  its  separa- 
tion from  the  vocational  department,  it  is  handicap- 

1  Any  school  clerk  can  grant  a  permit — it  is  a  purely  mechanical 
function — but  the  advisory  side  of  the  work  can  only  be  done  by  an 
experienced  worker. 


42  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

ping  that  department  from  supplying  the  assistance 
which  it  does  not  itself  render. 

(2)  There  is  a  serious  loss  of  time,  effort  and 
money  in  employing  separate  officials  for  these  two 
closely  related  departments.  Officers  capable  of  noti- 
fying parents  that  a  child  must  secure  a  permit  should 
also  be  capable  of  using  their  privilege  of  entrance  into 
the  home  for  the  many-sided  interests  which  can  be 
connected  with  such  a  visit.  Officers  in  these  two  de- 
partments have  great  opportunities,  great  privileges, 
and  great  responsibilities,  and  the  basis  of  selection 
should  be  professional  ability  and  specialized  knowl- 
edge.1 

Under  the  present  plan,  one  of  the  vocational 
workers  may  call  at  a  home  in  Ballard  in  response  to 
a  school  or  home  demand,  and  the  same  morning  a 
worker  from  the  attendance  office  may  call  at  a  second 
home  in  the  same  block  on  a  similar  or  related  errand. 
All  telephone  or  written  communications  should  be  re- 
ceived by  one  coordinator  who  should  assign  the  calls 
to  the  various  department  workers,  thus  utilizing  the 
different  qualities  of  the  various  workers  to  the  best 
advantage  and  at  the  same  time  effecting  economy  in 
time  and  money.  Moreover,  complaints  as  to  the  char- 
acter of  letters  written  on  school  attendance  would  be 
avoided  if  one  person  were  responsible  for  signing  all 
communications  which  go  out  from  both  departments 
in  the  name  of  the  school. 

(3)  The  attendance  office  keeps  no  records  of  the 
volume  of  work  passing  through  the  department  and 
has  no  means  of  knowing  from  year  to  year,  aside  from 
memory,  what  variations  there  may  be  in  its  work, 
what  progress  has  been  made  and  what  the  greatest 
weakness  in  service.  It  is  this  class  of  tabulated  in- 
formation which  forms  the  scientific  basis  of  prog- 
ress.   Records  should  be  unified  under  one  statistician 


1  Examination    for    vocational    and    attendance    officers    is    discussed 
later. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916,  43 

who  understands  the  value  of  this  class  of  facts  and 
can  interpret  them  for  the  benefit  of  educational  admin- 
istration. 

I  would  not  underrate  the  value  of  our  present  at- 
tendance officer.  In  any  large  system,  there  is  bound 
to  be  more  or  less  of  a  demand  for  detective  or  police 
ability,  and  I  think  such  demand  should  be  recognized 
and  provided  for,  but  in  responding  to  it,  methods  can 
and  should  be  found  which  will  not  handicap  the  prog- 
ress of  our  attendance  office  along  strictly  educational 
lines.1  A  trained  social  research  student  is  fully  as 
necessary  for  successful  attendance  supervision  as  for 
successful  vocational  guidance  supervision.  In  the  in- 
terests of  both  efficiency  and  economy,  development  of 
the  educational  functions  of  our  attendance  depart- 
ment is  one  of  Seattle's  most  immediate  educational 
needs.8. 

H.    Vocational  Guidance  and  the  Evening  School 

The  evening  school,  as  the  day  school,  should  com- 
bine in  its  curriculum  both  vocational  and  educational 
guidance,  with  this  difference — the  day  school  program 
should  emphasize  educational  guidance  as  the  basis  of 
vocational  selection,  while  the  evening  school  program 
should  be  based  on  vocational  experience  and  the  type 
of  its  educational  guidance  should  be  determined  by 
the  demands  of  this  vocational  experience. 

There  are  four  definite  lines  of  vocational  service  in 
connection  with  our  evening  schools : 

(1)  Vocational  and  education?  1  guidance  for  the 
pupil  who  is  in  need  of: 

1  Several  duties  now  performed  by  the  attendance  officer  come 
under  the  direction  of  the  business  department.  Possibly  he' might  be 
transferred  to  that  department  and  be  at  the  service^  of  jthe  educational 
department  for  court  cases  and  for  any  line  of  detective  -  work  in  the 
system.  _  Q  T  T " 

2  The  last  report  of  the  National  League  of  Qomplilsory  Attendance 
Officers  indicates  the  trend  of  thought  among  attendance  officers"  them- 
selves as  to  what  their  responsibilities  are  for  the  study  and  for  the 
improvement  of  social-economic  conditions. 


44  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

(a)  General   education    in    order   to   compete 
with  other  workers  of  his  age  and  ability. 

(b)  Supplemental  education  in  order  to  pro- 
gress in  his  vocation. 

(c)  Vocational    readjustment    through   educa- 
tion. 

(d)  Counteracting  education  to  minimize  the 
disadvantages  of  day  employment. 

(2)  Vocational  contributions  in  the  shape  of  occu- 
pational information  and  advice  useful  in  the  organiza- 
tion and  the  reorganization  of  evening  school  courses. 

(3)  Securing  vocational  reactions  from  evening 
school  pupils  which  are  helpful  in  organizing  day 
school  courses  and  counseling  day  school  pupils. 

(4)  Use  of  the  evening  schools  as  the  best  means  of 
articulating  education  with  industry. 

Probably,  there  is  no  educational  effort  in  connec- 
tion with  the  school  system  which  is  bringing  such  un- 
satisfactory returns*  to  all  interested  parties  as  is  the 
evening  school.  This  dissatisfaction  is  universal,  in 
Seattle  and  elsewhere.  What  is  its  cause?  Adminis- 
trators and  educators  know  only  in.  part,  but  they  do 
know  that  the  problem  will  not  be  entirely  solved 
until  it  receives  much  more  supervisory  attention  and 
much  more  careful  analysis.  Many  facts  must  be 
studied  and  tabulated:  logical  conclusions  must  be 
drawn  from  the  facts ;  recommendations  must  be  based 
upon  conclusions,  and  experimentation  and  readjust- 
ment must  be  based  on  recommendations  before  we  can 
hope  for  very  much  progress.  Some  of  the  causes  we 
know  now  and  should  take  steps  to  remedy;  others  we 
may  find  to  be  inherent  in  evening  school  work  and  not 
to  be  remedied.  Still  others  which  we  may  not  be  able 
to  solve  now,  may  be  easily  solved  when  we  have  more 
light  on  the  subject. 

In  no  other  section  of  this  report  am  I  drawing 
conclusions  from  such  crude  and  incomplete  data.    In- 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  45 

deed,  I  am  hesitating  between  my  inclination  to  cast 
out  all  evening  school  statistics  as  inaccuracies  un- 
worthy of  presentation,  and  my  feeling  that  until  these 
same  inaccuracies  and  unscientific  procedures  are  tabu- 
lated we  shall  have  no  foundation  upon  which  to  begin 
reform.  It  is  because  I  hope  that  upon  this  foundation 
a  better  system  may  be  built  that  I  incorporate  this 
section  in  the  report.  Much  of  the  interpretation  will 
be  left  to  the  Superintendent  and  the  workers  who  may 
follow  me. 

Because  of  the  impossibility  of  reconciling  the  sta- 
tistical inaccuracies,  I  have  given  the  sources  of  infor- 
mation wherever  any  question  might  arise. 

When  the  evening  school  problem  is  solved,  it  will 
be  solved  by  the  adaptation  of  the  material  and  con- 
tent of  our  curricula  to  the  needs  and  abilities  of  those 
who  attend.  Our  first  question,  then,  is — Who  at- 
tends? Our  second — What  are  their  abilities  and  what 
are  their  needs? 

1.    Pupils  Who  Attend  Evening  Schools 

Five  thousand  seven  hundred  fifty-nine  (5,759)  pu- 
pils registered  in  our  evening  schools  last  winter ;  3,277 
in  the  high  school,  1,292  in  the  grammar  school,  and 
1,190  foreigners  in  the  classes  giving  instruction  in  the 
English  language.  If  we  could  analyze  these  statistics 
scientifically,  they  would  tell  us  definitely  who  attends, 
what  are  their  abilities  and  what  would  best  meet  their 
needs.  As  it  is,  we  can  but  make  a  beginning  which 
may  point  the  way  for  another  year. 

Table  I.  tells  us  how  the  5,759  pupils  were  distrib- 
uted according  to  nativity  and  nationality.  Sixteen 
hundred  and  two  (1,602)  were  native  born  of  native 
parents,  1,439  were  native  born  of  foreign  parents  and 
1,436  were  foreign  born. 

Each  school  has  been  classified  separately  because 
an  evening  school  supervisor  can  derive  valuable  sug- 


46  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

gestions  from  knowledge  of  the  various  foreign  groups 
which  predominate  in  each  locality,  or  school  district. 
Moreover,  knowledge  of  types  is  very  important  in  se- 
lecting methods  of  instruction  for  immigrants,  and  it 
is  most  desirable  that  teachers  be  chosen  for  their  abil- 
ity to  adjust  to  the  viewpoint  of  the  different  nation- 
alities. 

Table  II.  was  made  from  the  naturalization  record 
cards  which  have  been  received  from  the  Federal  Gov- 
ernment during  the  year.1  It  is  of  interest  as  indicat- 
ing the  type  of  foreigner  who  desires  to  become  a  citi- 
zen. If  the  same  class  of  information  were  to  be  tabu- 
lated from  year  to  year,  we  would  be  able  to  adjust  and 
to  readjust  our  evening  courses  and  our  methods  of 
instruction  to  the  changes  in  nationality  as  they  ap- 
pear. It  is  introduced  at  this  point  for  purposes  of 
comparison  with  Table  I.  regarding  location  with  ref- 
erence to  nativity  and  nationality.  The  two  tables 
taken  together  throw  considerable  light  on  the  subject. 

It  can  be  seen  at  a  glance  that  Queen  Anne2  and 
Lincoln  have  the  problem  of  North  Europeans  almost 
exclusively  while  the  Franklin  has  a  South  European 
problem.  I  was  interested  in  the  fact  that  the  Russians 
alone  are  anxious  to  secure  evening  high  school  in- 
struction. This  is  probably  accounted  for  by  the  greater 
eagerness  with  which  the  Russian  Jew  seizes  the  ad- 
vantage of  free  public  education. 

1  The  purpose  of  these  cards  is  explained  on  page  61. 
*  This  Includes  the  grammar  schools  in  the  vicinity. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 


47 


3* 


o»         -eo«0' 


i-i      n  e^ 


ISS  :S 


OS     -NrtO 


>ocq      ihmwm( 


I 


A  P    9 

9  fepQ 


55« 


3° 


£:« 


fcm 


<n  us  <r>  ^  ■*  e<» 


oo     ■»©■**«< 


COWrtON      .HHNH 


eo<o    -o 


3  :g 


123 


'SSSSrS*— 'w,*g 


131'1'Ili^ 


llll#l|l| 1 1 Ililj|||||tlif =|||    |- 


48 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 


Table  II.     Nativity  with  Reference  to  Location 
1207  Federal  Reports 


Country 

Total 

Central 

South 

North 

Ballard 

Wert 
Seattle 

Miscel- 
laneous 

Albania 

3 

64 
13 

7 
175 
51 
134 
35 

9 

89 
23 
13 
16 

1 
47 
70 

2 

5 

2 
185 

4 
80 
55 

5 

123 

12 

4 

2 
28 

7 

1 

28 

7 

4 

83 

23 

25 

21 

2 

54 

19 

1 

2 

Argentine 

1 

"is  " 

Australia 

2 
6 

Austria 

Belgium 

5 
3 

5 
•   1 

2 
2 

Bulgaria 

3 
19 

6 

33 

1 

........ 

1 
2 
6 

Canada 

Denmark 

England 

38 
4 

28 
3 
4 
9 
3 
7 
2 

15 
4 
13 
8 
....... 

3 

4 

9 

....... 

2 

17 
10 
26 

Finland   . 

2 

France 

Germany 

Greece 

2 
5 

Holland 

Hungaria 

1 
6 

3 

2 

Iceland 

Ireland 

Italy 

Mexico 

34 
14 
2 
2 

103 
1 
4 

47 

30 
3 

29 
6 
2 
2 

23 

'"25" 

11 

4 

5 
19 

1 

1 

16 

1 

1 

New  Zealand 

Norway 

Peru 

26 

30 

5 

5 

Poland 

Russia 

15 

6 

"io  " 

6 
14 

2 
37 

2 

2 

4 

1 
2 

7 

Scotland 

Spain 

2 

Sweden 

Switzerland 

19 

14 

14 
3 

Syria 

TVmftTii* 

Turkey 

Wales 

....!... 

4 

1 

2 
2 

Total 

1267 

575 

177 

212 

124 

52 

127 

Age  statistics  are  a  second  source  of  information  in 
attempting  to  decide  who  attends  our  evening  schools. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 


49 


■3  1 


O    00 

~-0 


si 


u  v. 
<  *•>  00 

SJ 


a  bo 

3  C 

&* 

9    a) 


50  Vocational  Guidance  Report  191 3-19 1 6. 

Nearly  all  the  pupils  under  16  are  either  attempting 
to  complete  the  grammar  school  course  or  are  taking 
mechanical  lines  related  to  day  employment.  Many 
registered  through  our  office  and  a  large  number  have 
reported  back  as  to  their  satisfaction  with  the  courses 
and  the  character  of  the  instruction.  At  the  opening  of 
the  term,  we  tried  to  follow  up  these  younger  pupils 
by  means  of  an  absent  list  sent  in  each  week  from  the 
school.  It  was  a  most  satisfactory  plan  for  service  to 
the  pupil,  but  proved  too  irksome  to  the  teachers. 

Statistics  also  show  a  large  group  of  pupils  from  16 
to  20  years  of  age.  This  is  encouraging,  for,  could  we 
reach  these  pupils  we  might  exert  a  wide  educational 
influence  at  an  age  when  such  influence  is  most  impor- 
tant in  more  ways  than  one. 

One  of  the  interesting  problems  in  connection 
with  this  type  of  pupil  is  motive.  Why  do  these  young 
people  attend  evening  school?  Sometimes,  they  try  it 
over  and  over  each  year  with  varying  results — the  one 
to  complete  a  regular  program  for  progress,  the  other 
to  waste  his  time  with  no  definite  return.  Some  are 
very  much  dissatisfied  with  the  character  of  the  work 
and  the  quality  of  instruction;  others  cannot  say 
enough  as  to  what  it  has  done  for  them.  We  may,  and 
do,  ask  for  motives,  but  we  can  never  be  sure  we  are 
interpreting  them  correctly.  There  are  probably  five 
controlling  motives  for  entrance — general  education, 
vocational  promotion,  vocational  readjustment,  home 
use,  and  a  social  meeting  place  for  friends. 

2.    Abilities  and  Needs  of  Evening  School  Pupils 

Before  we  can  know  the  foundation  upon  which  our 
evening  courses  must  be  built,  we  shall  have  to  have 
definite  information  as  to  the  previous  education  of 
evening  school  applicants.  Were  we  to  require  this  at 
the  time  of  registration,  we  would  be  less  likely  to 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  51 

allow  the  fifth  and  sixth  grade  girl  in  our  stenographic 
courses. 

A  second  factor  which  will  help  us  in  deciding  upon 
the  abilities  and  needs  of  evening  school  pupils  is  the 
question  of  day  employment.  What  are  the  various 
employments  represented  in  the  evening  schools?  Can 
the  workers  in  each  be  grouped  in  such  a  way  that 
class  instruction  may  be  brought  to  bear  on  their  in- 
dividual problems?  What  specific  vocational  demands 
can  we  meet  for  each  individual  ? 

We  may  state,  on  general  principles,  that  pupils 
employed  during  the  day  will  come  from  either  enervat- 
ing or  energizing  employments.  I  have  classified  the 
pupils  who  registered  at  our  office  very  carefully,  keep- 
ing this  distinction  in  mind,  and  I  believe,  were  there  a 
broader  basis  for  generalization,  some  conclusions  of 
value  might  be  drawn.  Nearly  all  of  the  younger  pu- 
pils are  in  more  or  less  energizing  lines.1  These  are 
the  same  lines  which  our  pupils  seek  the  most  eagerly 
and  enter  with  the  least  forethought,  and  from  which, 
especially  under  our  wage  laws,  they  are  almost  sure 
to  be  forced  out  at  18  years  of  age.  What  boys  and 
girls  of  this  type  need  is  vocational  guidance,  and  after 
that  the  help  of  the  evening  school  for  definite  voca- 
tional training  with  a  definite  purpose  in  view. 

Our  evening  schools  are  already  organized  to  handle 
this  class  of  work  but  they  lack  certain  elements  which 
are  essential  to  success. 

Enervating  employments  do  not  take  as  many 
young  workers  from  our  office.  Such  lines  are  less 
eagerly  sought  and  those  who  enter  are  more  likely  to 
be  permanent.  In  some  of  the  manufacturing  cities  of 
the  East,  there  are  many  more  young  workers  in  this 
class  than  in  the  other.  Local  opportunities  for  child 
labor  control  to  a  large  extent.    Punch-press  operating. 

1  Delivery  boys,  newsboys,  bundle  and  cash  girls,  office  boys,   etc. 


52  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916, 

some  automatic  office  operations,  and  several  factory 
processes  are  the  main  lines  of  enervating  work  in 
Seattle. 

Workers  in  these  lines  are  habitually  tired,  men- 
tally and  physically,  and  whatever  evening  study  they 
pursue,  if  it  be  of  real  assistance,  must  be  offered  in  the 
shape  of  counteracting  rather  than  supplemental 
courses.1  Our  evening  school  system  has,  as  yet,  made 
no  study  of  these  two  different  classes  of  workers  and 
offers  nothing  of  benefit  to  the  enervated  pupil.  We 
have  analyzed  the  problem  pretty  carefully  so  far  as 
our  limited  information  permits.  It  would  be  most 
interesting  to  know  what  percentage  of  evening  elimi- 
nation is  from  enervating  employments.  We  cannot 
know  this  until  we  list  all  the  different  employments 
at  registration,  and  then  check  each  elimination. 

Tables  IV.  and  V.  indicate  the  relation  of  day  em- 
ployment to  evening  school  courses.  This  tabulation 
is  made  from  the  best  information  at  our  command* 
but  is  of  little  value  in  solution  of  the  real  problem. 
The  same  class  of  material  was  used  two  years  ago  in 
a  similar  tabulation  for  "Seattle  Children  in  School 
and  in  Industry."  At  that  time,  I  had  had  no  oppor- 
nity  to  inquire  into  the  actual  value  of  the  written 
record  and  I  accepted  it  as  of  much  greater  informa- 
tional value  than  my  later  experience  warrants.  I 
assumed  that  pupils  registered  as  "factory  workers" 
were  employed  in  the  manufacturing  departments  of 
the  houses  mentioned.  Personal  interviews,  during 
registration,  have  proven  that  many  who  register  as 
"factory  workers"  are  actually  employed  in  the  dis- 
tributing offices  and  should  be  classified  entirely  dif- 
ferently. This  is  common,  also,  in  other  lines  and 
tends  to  false  interpretation  of  records. 

1  The  best  presentation  of  thia  subject  with  which  I  am  familiar  is 
found  in  "Education  for  Industrial  Workers,"  by  Herman  Schneider. 
It  Is  most  suggestive  for  evening  school  teachers. 

'Registration  cards. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 


53 


Table  IV.     Relation  of  Evening:  Study  to  Day  Employment  1915-18 


Men 

Day  Occupation 

Totals 

Mechanical 

Culture 

Commercial 

Trade 

% 

% 

% 

% 

Trade 

570 

60 

7 

109 
21 
37 
39 
7 
28 
11 

482 

370 
35 

249 

13 
11 
2 
13 
1 
5 
6 

2 

18 
29 
12 

5 
13 
16 

162 
30 
4 
49 
17 
14 
20 

28 
50 
59 
45 
85 
40 
51 

130 
17 

23 
29 

265 
2 

12 

47 

Factory .... 

3 

14 

35 

3 
16 
13 

5 
12 

2 
269 
205 

8 
72 

32 
10 
43 
33 
71 
42 
18 
53 
55 
22 
30 

12 

2 

5 

2 

3 

1 

27 

19 

5 

13 

29 

1 

4 

50 

44 

6 

33 

4 
36 
11 
11 
17 
14 

12 

4 

135 

102 

16 

131 

43 

37 
28 
28 
46 
52 

10 

Teacher 

9 

Office 

5 

Store 

6 

Government 

Miscellaneous 

15 
4 

Total 

2025 

189 

10 

697 

34 

787 

38 

352 

18 

Table  V.     Relation  of  Evening  Study  to  Day  Employment  1915-16  • 


Women 

Day  Occupation 

Totals 

Domestic 
Science 

Culture 

Commercial 

Trade 

% 

% 

% 

% 

Factory 

34 

126 

389 

29 

478 

154 

14 

96 

35 

85 

85 

554 

3 

38 
62 
2 
62 
21 

10 
30 
16 
10 
13 
14 

12 
45 

139 
14 

133 
33 
10 
35 
8 
24 
28 

172 

33 
36 
36 
48 
28 
21 
71 
36 
23 
28 
33 
31 

10 

21 

46 

7 

219 

62 

2 

8 

16 

24 

23 

214 

33 
17 
11 
25 
46 
40 
15 
9 
45 
29 
27 
39 

9 
22 
142 

6 
64 
38 

2 
20 

6 

29 

11 

107 

25 

17 

Housewife 

37 

Laundry 

21 

Office 

13 

Store 

24 

Student 

14 

Teacher 

33 

5 

8 

23 

61 

34 
14 

10 
27 
11 

20 

Telephone 

17 

Trade 

34 

Miscellaneous 

13 

None 

16 

Total 

2079 

318 

15 

653 

31 

652 

31 

456 

22 

Careful  registration  is  the  very  foundation  of  even- 
ing school  success.  We  need  a  new  permanent  record 
card  which  will  tell,  in  addition  to  the  information 
now  called  for,  the  previous  education,  where  secured* 
and  the  definite  processes  of  day  employment.     Our 

1  Information   was  tabulated   from   registration   cards. 
3  Place  of  education  is  suggestive  in  its  bearing  on  vocational  train- 
ing for  localized  industries. 


54  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

present  record  system  is  not  permanent,  and  it  is  not 
uncommon  for  pupils  to  register,  several  years  in  suc- 
cession, only  to  take  up  class  room  and  cause  useless 
public  expense.  Many  drop  out  after  the  first  few 
evenings.1  Permanent  records  would  indicate  which 
pupils  are  doing  this  sort  of  thing  and  would  result  in 
refusal  of  registration.  Moreover,  were  accurate  rec- 
ords to  be  kept  from  year  to  year  we  would  soon  have 
some  definite  basis  for  purposeful  study  in  our  efforts 
to  reach  the  evening  school  problem.  Last  September, 
we  allowed  pupils  who  desired  vocational  advice  to 
register  at  the  central  office.  Personally,  the  opportu- 
nity to  interview  so  many  evening  school  pupils  was  of 
great  value,  and  I  feel  that  some  similar  plan  would 
be  of  permanent  benefit  in  reducing  the  registration  of 
the  class  of  pupils  whom  we  do  not  want  in  evening 
schools,  and  in  making  the  courses  of  more  benefit  to 
those  who  are  sincere.  Of  the  1,568  who  came  to  the 
central  office  to  consult,  313  were  advised  not  to  enroll 
in  the  evening  classes.  It  would  seem  that  the  Board 
must  sooner  or  later  analyze  this  problem  and  draw  a 
much  more  definite  line  as  to  the  type  of  pupil  who 
should  be  admitted  to  classes  under  our  elementary 
and  secondary  school  system.  Do  college  graduates 
belong  in  these  classes  in  Commercial  Law,  Spanish 
and  many  other  subjects,  or  do  they  belong  in  the  Uni- 
versity Extension  Classes?  Even  if  it  seems  wise  to 
be  most  liberal  in  admission,  what  is  the  influence  on 
the  material  used  and  the  methods  of  instruction  when 
we  attempt  to  instruct  in  the  same  class  the  man  with 
the  college  background  and  the  high  school  boy?*  For 
which  type  do  we  expect  to  provide?  The  university 
extension  courses  should  not  be  duplicated  in  our  pub- 
lic schools.     The  Director  is  willing  and  anxious  to 

1  There  wai  no  data,  except  name  by  name,  for  the  entire  6,759, 
from  which  to  indicate  how  many  drop  out  during  the  first  month,  the 
second  month,  etc. 

*  This  is  one  cause  of  elimination.  Both  types  cannot  be  accommo- 
dated in  one  class. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  55 

co-operate  in  organizing  so  that  the  best  interests  of  all 
may  be  served  and  it  would  seem  wise  to  have  a  confer- 
ence on  this  subject  before  the  opening  of  the  new 
year. 

3.    Irregularity  of  Attendance 

Irregularity  of  attendance  is  the  one  all  inclusive 
problem  of  the  evening  school.  It  seems  sometimes  as 
though  solution  were  almost  beyond  the  control  of  the 
school.  There  are  many  causes — somtimes,  pressure 
of  work,  late  hours,  weather,  health,  or  social  attrac- 
tions which  are  stronger  than  educational  interests, 
may  be  the  explanation ;  sometimes,  the  quality  of  the 
work  and  the  character  of  instruction. 

Statistics  tell  us  that  our  total  registration  was 
5,759.  Of  this  number,  only  1,959  remained  through 
the  entire  year.1  The  average  attendance  was  but  1,746 
and  only  50  pupils  were  present  every  evening.  These 
statistics,:  unfavorable  as  they  are,  are  probably  some- 
what more  favorable  than  facts  warrant.  The  regula- 
tions of  the  Board  require  discontinuance  of  classes 
whenever  average  attendance  falls  below  twelve.  If 
strictly  adhered  to,  this  rule  frequently  results  in  clos- 
ing classes  which  teachers  would  be  glad  to  retain,  not 
always  from  selfish  motives,  although  this  plays  its 
part,  but  oftentimes  because  a  small  group  of  very 
earnest  workers  is  bitterly  disappointed  at  loss  of  op- 
portunity to  complete  the  course. 

I  visited  the  schools  fourteen  evenings  last  winter 
and  nineteen  evenings  the  winter  before.  On  each  occa- 
sion, I  noted  carefully  the  number  actually  present. 
This  year,  I  was  able  to  check  my  own  count  with  the 
count  in  the  daily  report,  received  at  the  superintend- 
ent's office.  The  following  difference  in  statistics  for 
the  same  class  was  observed : 


1  Six  months. 


56 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 


Actual  Count 
14 
11 

3 

6 
31 

9 


Records 
19 
17 
12 
15 
42 
16 


In  checking  attendance,  I  was  careful  to  avoid  tak- 
ing count  in  such  a  way  that  pupils  might  either  enter 
after  count,  or  leave  before.1 

The  three  tables  which  follow  may  be  analyzed  for 
attendance  information. 

Table  VI.  indicates  the  total  registration  in  each 
school  and  the  attendance  at  the  close  of  the  year,  for 
each  sex,  in  both  elementary  and  high  school. 

Table  VI.     Evening:  School  Attendance  1915-16 


High  School 

Grade  School 

Total 

Ameri- 
can 
Born 

For- 
eign 
Born 

B. 

G. 

B. 

G. 

B. 

G. 

Total 

Ballard— 
Total  Reg 

203 
64 

1268 
366 

222 
113 

1228 
490 

128 
47 

244 

108 

260 
82 

47 
21 

201 

85 

40 
13 

331 
111 

1512 
474 

260 
82 

230 
83 

71 
10 

312 
55 

219 
91 

342 

108 

269 
134 

1429 
575 

40 
13 

126 
34 

45 

1 

247 
•7 

234 
90 

92 
31 

479 

121 

600 

No.  at  close 

Broadway — 
Total  Reg 

2059 

882 

2941 

Central — 
Total  Reg 

59 

241 

300 

Franklin- 
Total  Reg 

230 
83 

126 
34 

268 

88 

356 

Georgetown — 
Total  Reg 

71 

10 

52 
9 

12 
4 

342 
108 

45 

32 
8 

26 
7 

92 
31 

68 

48 

116 

Lincoln — 
Total  Reg 

260 
46 

207 
87 

215 
59 

208 
83 

439 

120 

559 

Queen  Anne — 
Total  Reg 

372 

81 

453 

Washington — 
Total  Reg 

60 

374 

434 

Total- 

2168 
646 

1999 
779 

1109 
368 

483 
166 

3277 
1014 

2482 
945 

3804 

1955 

5759 

1  These  statistics  can  be  verified  by  others  who  were  interested  in 
the  same  problem. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 


57 


Table  VII.  indicates  the  total  registration,  attend- 
ance at  close  and  percentage  completing  the  course. 
It  also  shows  the  number  registering  at  the  Central 
office  for  each  school.  We  have  tried  to  ascertain  how 
many  who  had  advice  at  the  Central  office  remained  at 
the  close  in  proportion  to  the  total  number  remaining. 
Had  we  been  able  to  do  so,  it  might  have  been  of  advan- 
tage in  deciding  the  advisability  of  combining  voca- 
tional guidance  with  evening  registration.1  Incomplete 
returns  on  this  subject  are  tabulated  as  they  are  valu- 
able with  reference  to  the  individual  schools. 

Table  VH.     Total  Registration  and  Attendance   1915-16 


Total  Original  Entries 

Registration 

Main  Office 

School 

Number 

Attend- 
ance 
at 
Close 

Original 
Entries 

at 
Close 

Number 

Attend- 
ance 
at 
Close 

Mam 
Office 
Regis- 
tration 
at  Close 

Main 

Office 

Never 

Entered 

Ballard 

600 
2941 
300 
116 
356 
559 
453 
434 

245 
1049 
95 
11 
117 
122 
181 
139 

40 
35 
32 
10 
33 
22 
40 
30 

105 

693 

50 

13 

122 

127 

104 

41 

A 
A 
10 
A 
74 
63 
74 
25 

Broadway 

Central 

Georgetown 

Franklin 

Lincoln 

Queen  Anna 

20 

'   '60" 
50 
70 
61 

4 

1 

12 
2 
9 

Washington 

Total 

5759 

1959 

35 

1255 

A.     Not   reported. 


Although  we  cannot  tabulate  it,  we  have  had  an 
interesting  report  from  the  Ballard  evening  school  re- 
garding the  value  of  vocational  assistance  at  date  of 
registration.  The  Principal,  who  made  a  study  of 
evening  schools  for  the  Saturday  morning  vocational 
class,  analyzed  his  building  registration  with  reference 
to  the  type  of  pupil  who  took  advantage  of  central 
registration  and  the  returns  on  the  effort.    He  found 


1  Necessarily  a  crude  conclusion  at  best,  as  there  was  much  advis- 
ory work  at  the  central  office  which  could  not  be)  called  vocational 
guidance. 


58  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916, 

29  pupils  of  the  younger  element  registered  down 
town,  23  remained  at  the  end  and  received  promotions. 

The  Broadway  Principal  did  not  return  the  cards 
of  eliminated  pupils,  and  hence  we  had  no  way  of  check- 
ing elimination  from  central  registration  other  than 
name  by  name  from  the  large  number  of  class  registers. 
We  did  check,  but  were  unable  to  recheck  and  lay  no 
claim  to  absolute  accuracy.  We  found  in  actual  class 
attendance  502  out  of  the  693  pupils  who  registered  at 
the  Central  office.1  Comparison  of  the  statistics  which 
are  complete  shows  a  much  greater  percentage  of  re- 
tention in  Central  office  registration  than  in  building 
registration. 

There  are  many  pupils  each  year  who  register  but 
who  never  attend  a  class.2.  In  Table  VII.,  "Original 
Entries"  means  actual  class  attendance  while  "Regis- 
tration at  Main  Office"  means  all  who  registered 
whether  ever  in  class  or  not.  The  column  marked 
"never  entered"  is  the  number  who  registered  at  our 
office,  but  never  entered  classes.  Somewhere  between 
the  693  registration  and  the  502  whom  we  know  were 
in  classes,  we  would  find  the  Broadway  statistics  for 
this  group. 

Table  VIII.  is  the  most  interesting  of  all  the  even- 
ing school  tabulations.  When  we  have  found  the  per- 
centage of  leakage,  the  next  step  is  to  seek  to  locate 
it.  From  what  classes  is  elimination  the  largest? 
Table  VIII.  shows  elimination  by  subjects  and  should 
be  exceedingly  valuable  as  a  guide  in  organizing 
courses.8 

I  make  no  effort  to  interpret  this  information.  Each 
who  is  interested  may  well  ask:  Why  606  original  en- 
tries in  Spanish  and  only  194  at  the  close?  Why  580  ori- 

1  All  checking  for  all  other  schools  was  done  by  means  of  the  dupli- 
cate record  card  In  our  office. 

a  Enrollment  and  registration  are  confused  In  some  of  the  reports. 

8  Original  entries  are  taken  from  the  building  reports.  Attendance 
at  close  is  not  the  number  at  the  very  close  but  is  the  last  record  sent 
to  the  Superintendent's  office  by  principals.  Naturally  it  is  somewhat 
larger  than  facts  warrant. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 


59 


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60  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

ginal  entries  in  Commercial  English  and  only  86  at  the 
close?  Why  organize  classes  for  215  Commercial  Law 
students  and  only  keep  41  to  the  end?  What  is  the 
matter  with  our  evening  school  attendance,  are  we  en- 
tering too  many  pupils  who  are  not  evening  school  ma- 
terial, or  are  we  failing  to  offer  them  anything  worth 
while  after  admission? 

4.    Methods  of  Teaching 

Methods  of  instruction  in  evening  schools  opens  up 
a  wide  field  which  belongs  to  the  educational  rather 
than  to  the  vocational  department.  My  own  observa- 
tion indicates  that  evening  school  methods  are  badly  in 
need  of  standardization  and  educational  supervision. 
We  need  a  live  wire  in  the  educational  department  who 
is  a  student  of  evening  school  problems,  and  we  need 
him  all  the  year — not  from  October  to  April.  Peda- 
gogical procedure  cannot  be  transferred  from  the  day 
to  the  evening  school.  The  problems  are  often  entirely 
different.  Mary  may  have  been  well  understood  last 
year  by  her  teacher  in  the  Seventh  Grade,  but  when  she 
comes  back  to  the  Evening  Eighth  Grade  with  her  new 
wage-earning  experience  she  is  disappointed  to  find 
that  her  viewpoint  is  not  understood  as  it  used  to  be 
and  becomes  discouraged.  It  is  experience  with  life 
that  helps  us  to  understand  and  interpret  evening 
school  pupils  correctly.  Too  few  of  our  teachers  have 
the  background  for  evening  school  success  and  our  lit- 
tle wage  earner  knows  it  better  than  we.1 

As  has  been  stated  before,  the  Ballard  Principal 
made  a  special  study  of  the  evening  schools  for  our 
Saturday  Vocational  Class.  He  offered,  in  his  report, 
a  number  of  suggestions  which  are  valuable  and  for 
that  reason  are  included. 

(1)  Have  two  semesters  so  arranged  that  no  school 

1 1  have  had,  enough  experience  in  the  vocational  office  to  realize 
that  this  inability  to  understand  the  wage  earner  is  a  vital  cause  of 
elimination.  The  same  trouble  arises  with  reference  to  day  pupils  who 
return  to  school  after  wage  earning  experience. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  61 

work  will  be  offered  during  December.  Irregular  at- 
tendance due  to  seasonal  demands  is  very  marked  at 
this  time. 

(2)  Require  all  applicants  to  register  at  the  Cen- 
tral office1  and  keep  permanent  records  there. 

(3)  Allow  but  two  periods  for  the  high  school  and 
automatically  permit  registration  for  but  two  subjects.' 

(4)  More  short  unit  courses  in  academic  subjects. 

(5)  Courses  for  foreigners  leading  to  citizenship. 

(6)  Standardization  of  entrance  requirements  for 
stenographic  courses. 

(7)  Better  material  for  class  use.  Either  the  les- 
son sheet  or  the  test  rather  than  the  left-over  books. 

I  also  suggest  inquiry  into  the  success  attending 
the  lecture  courses  given  by  the  public  library.  It  may 
be  possible  to  substitute  something  of  this  kind  for 
certain  lines  of  class  work.  New  York  City  has  ren- 
dered a  great  educational  service  in  this  way. 

5.    The  Immigrant  in  the  Evening  School 

The  problem  of  Americanizing  the  foreigner  has 
grown  steadily  in  importance  during  the  last  few  years. 
National  and  local  organizations  have  come  into  being 
for  the  express  purpose  of  assisting  in  the  solution  of 
the  problem.  Education  is  an  important  factor.  The 
type  of  education  and  the  best  methods  of  imparting 
instruction  are  attracting  considerable  attention  from 
educators.* 

In  October,  1915,  the  Superintendent  received  a 
communication  from  the  Bureau  of  Naturalization 
asking  educational  co-operation  in  the  preparation  of 
aliens  for  citizenship.    Since  that  date,  he  has  received 

1  Central  office  registration  is  one  way  of  handling,  the  problems 
involved  in  this  phase  of  evening  school  work.  I  have  not  had  suf- 
ficient experience  to  warrant  stating  that  I  think  it  is  the  best  way. 

8  This  appeals  to  me  as  an  advisable  plan — educationally  advan- 
tageous  and   a   large  saving   financially. 

*  There  are  many  publications  on  this  subject  which  would  be  help- 
ful to  teachers.  Moreover  the  methods  of  teaching  English  in  the 
Government  Schools  are*  suggestive  of  better  methods  for  the  average 
public  evening  school. 


62 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  19 1 3-19 1 6. 


educational  record  cards  for  1,267  aliens  who  have  filed 
naturalization  papers.1 

Table  II.,  already  discussed  on  page  46,  indicates 
who  our  new  citizens  are  to  be,  and  in  what  section 
of  our  city  they  have  located. 

Table  IX.  indicates  the  economic  contribution  they 
are  making  to  Seattle  industrial  life  and  the  different 
class  of  labor  which  is  coming  from  each  country. 

Table   IX.     Foreigners    Applying:    for   Citizenship    Papers 


Country 

Laborer 

Trade 

Commer- 
cia 

Independ- 
ent 
Business 

Housewife 

Total 

Albania 

1 

1 

1 

1 

1 
24 
9 
4 
23 
17 
43 
17 

21 
14 
5 
6 
1 
9 

44 
1 
3 

2 

3 

22 

2 
9 

15 
3 

47 
11 
39 
6 
2 
17 
3 

64 

13 

1 
41 

18 
41 
10 
4 
34 

7 

55 
5 

11 
2 
2 

10 
1 

175 

51 

134 

Finland 

35 

9 

7 
5 

89 

23 

Holland 

8 
7 

13 

3 

16 

15 

8 

2 
39 

15 
4 

2 

5 

6 
9 

47 

Italy 

70 

2 

5 

29 

2 

105 
1 
2 
19 
8 
2 

40 
6 
2 

*16 

12 

185 

Peru 

Poland 

2 
15 
19 

1 
32 

4 

26 

17 

43 

4 

13 

11 

1 

8 
1 
2 

7 

80 

55 

5 

123 

12 

4 

1 
5 
2 

2 

Turkey    . 

4 
3 

3 
1 

28 

Wales 

7 

Total 

446 

351 

160 

40 

270 

1267 

We  have  as  yet  done  little  to  help  in  the  problem 
of  Americanization.  About  150  of  these  strangers 
were  called  upon  in  their  homes  and  a  great  variety 


1  The   extent  of  Seattle's   immigrant   problem   compared   with   other 
cities  In  Washington  is  indicated  in  Appendix  III. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  63 

of  difficulties  were  found  to  prevent  evening  school 
attendance  which  was  all  that  we  had  to  offer.1 

Many  of  the  men  are  unmarried,  but  those  who  are 
married  are  usually  of  the  higher  type  and  the  home 
needs  our  help  less  than  does  the  home  of  the  South 
European  who  is  not  seeking  naturalization. 

The  number  of  women  of  foreign  birth  who  attend 
our  evening  schools  is  regrettably  small  as  compared 
to  the  number  of  men.  This  is  especially  unfortunate 
as  the  American  standard  of  home  life  must  be  largely 
acquired  through  the  women.  They  do  not  attend  our 
schools  and,  as  they  associate  largely  with  those  speak- 
ing their  own  language,  they  are  Americanized  very 
slowly,  if  at  all.  Men  who  come  from  the  South  of 
Europe  are  not  inclined  to  feel  the  necessity  of  edu- 
cation for  the  women  of  the  family,  and,,  although  they 
may  attend  evening  school  themselves,  they  do  not  en- 
courage it  for  the  women.  Mrs.  Crickmore  suggests 
that  an  hour  of  English  instruction  for  alien  women 
be  tried  in  two  of  our  schools — the  Washington  for  the 
Turkish  Jew  and  the  Colman  for  the  Italian. 

J.    Vocational  Guidance  and  Physical  Defectives 

Some  of  our  most  difficult  problems  have  come  to 
us  in  connection  with  the  vocational  guidance  of  phys- 
ically handicapped  pupils.  There  are  occupational  op- 
portunities for  these  pupils  if  only  we  knew  what  and 
where  they  are,  and  if  we  could  have  a  chance  to  offer 
educational  guidance  before  it  is  too  late  to  obtain  the 
necessary  vocational  preparation.  We  have  been  able 
to  assist  a  number  who  called  upon  us  in  time  for  such 
guidance,  but  the  majority  do  not  come  until  they  are 
actually  forced  to  seek  employment,  and  then,  we  have 
the  minimum  wage  requirements  to  meet  as  well  as  the 
industrial  requirements.    Each  individual  case  of  this 

1  Mrs.  Crickmore  is  our  best  visitor  in  alien  homes  and  is  also  a 
successful  and  experienced  evening  school  teacher.  We  are  indebted  to 
hen  for  the  suggestion  regarding  education  of  foreign   women. 


64 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 


type  has  to  be  taken  up  separately  with  the  Industrial 
Welfare  Commission  and,  once  or  twice,  I  have  lost  po- 
sitions because  of  the  attendant  delay.1  Before  we 
can  solve  our  problems  in  this  line,  it  is  necessary  to 
know  the  nature  and  extent  of  the  handicaps.  There- 
fore, we  recently  asked  each  principal  to  send  us  in- 
formation as  to  the  sex,  age,  number  and  class  of  de- 
fect for  each  physically  handicapped  pupil.  There 
were  38  cases  in  which  the  information  was  too  indef- 
inite for  use.  The  remaining  number  has  been  tabu- 
lated and  classified  below  and  should  be  used  by  the 
vocational  department  as  a  guide  in  studying  this 
problem  and  in  helping  each  who  needs  its  help  to 
make  himself  economically  independent. 

Physical  Defectives  in  Seattle  Public  Schools,  June,   1916 


Nature  of  Defect 

Boys 

Girls 

Total 

Curvature  of  spine 

5 

2 
2 
2 

...... 

""$" 
2 

"is 

4 
13 

7 

Blind  in  one  eye 

3 

Dislocation  of  hip 

2 

Deformed  face 

1 

1 

10 

2 

1 
1 

Arm  off  below  elbow 

Lame  feet 

10 

Lame  arm 

Paralysis 

Hand  lacking 

Stiff  shoulder  and  neck 

Artificial  foot 

Hair  lip 

Lower  limbs  useless 

2 

2 
33 

7 
36 

4 

Club  feet 

Deaf,  or  nearly  so 

48 

Und  eveloped  limb,  due  to  infantile  paralysis .... 

U 

Speech. .". "...." 

48 

Rupture 

Total 

107 

52 

159 

K.  Vocational  Guidance  and  Vocational  Assistants 

This  topic  completes  discussion  of  the  organization 
of  a  vocational  department.  I  have  left  it  until  the 
last  because,  as  the  director  stands  at  the  top  of  the 

1  This  is  not  a  criticism  on  the  Commission.  Special  delivery  is 
always  used  and  the  State  Labor  Department  has  been  at  all  times 
willing  and  glad  to  co-operate.  Co-operative  study  in  connection  with 
the  Wage  Commission  has  been  temporarily  suspended  because  of 
change  in  the  State  Department  as  well  as  in  our  office. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  65 

system  and  is  responsible  for  the  unification  and  co- 
ordination of  all  vocational  guidance  efforts,  so  must 
his  associates  stand  at  the  bottom  of  the  system  and 
furnish  the  occupational  and  educational  information 
which  makes  co-ordination  possible.  The  director  must 
depend  on  the  teaching  corps  for  one  line  of  informa- 
tion and  on  his  vocational  assistants  for  the  other. 

No  matter  how  carefully  class  teacher  and  librarian 
may  do  their  work,  no  matter  how  anxiously  the  home 
may  co-operate,  there  is  bound  to  be  a  certain  residuum 
of  responsibility  which  must  be  assumed  by  those  who 
are  in  constant  contact  with  industry  and  who  are 
each  day  observing  causes  of  success  and  of  failure. 
There  is  a  certain  type  of  knowledge  which  comes  from 
familiarity  with  processes;  from  observation  and  an- 
alyzation  of  the  methods  by  which  different  employ- 
ment managers  sift  applicants,  and  from  study  of  the 
number  and  type  of  those  who  succeed  and  those  who 
fail.1  Occupational  efficiency  tests  are  receiving  in- 
creasing attention  from  business  houses.2  Returns  on 
this  class  of  experiment  must  be  studied  and,  where  ap- 
plicable, introduced  into  the  vocational  department.8 
Seasonal  occupations,  their  advantage  and  disadvant- 
age, their  dull  periods  and  the  opportunities  for  dove- 
tailing two  lines  requiring  related  abilities,  are  also  of 
importance  to  the  vocational  office.  Each  occupation 
is  more  or  less  specializied  and  information  of  worth 
can  be  secured  only  by  the  specialist  who  can  go  into 
the  industry  and  study  its  requirements,  its  opportun- 
ities and  the  causes  of  elimination. 

The  line  of  differentiation  between  the  functions  of 
the  school  and  the  functions  of  the  occupation  is  being 

1  Study  of,  elimination,  from  industry  is  fully  as  important  for  the 
welfare    of    society    as    is    study    of    elimination    from    school. 

2  The  Association  of  Corporation  Schools  has  just  set  aside  $75,000 
for  a  five-year  experiment  in  one  line.  The  research  work  began  June 
1,  1916.  New  York  is  doing  some  good  work  in  Mechanical  Vocational 
Guidance  Tests. 

8  In  some  industries  I  have  learned  to  tell  by  observation  that  cer- 
tain types  are  not  fitted  for  certain  occupations,  but  it  is  unsafe  to  take 
responsibility  for  too  definite  statements  in  this  line. 


66  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

more  closely  drawn.  Each  has  a  duty  to  perform  but 
there  is  a  point  where  the  lines  converge.  At  that 
point,  we  find  the  employment  manager  and  the  voca- 
tional director  each  interpreting  the  analysis  of  the 
other  and  each  co-operating  in  the  interests  of  social 
economy. 

The  National  Association  of  Corporation  Schools 
estimates  its  own  responsibility  for  job  analysis  as  fol- 
lows i1 

"These  job  specifications  should  also  contain  a  brief 
description  of  the  duties  of  the  job;  the  schooling  or 
the  sort  of  experience  that  is  desirable  in  an  employe; 
the  posture  of  the  employe,  that  is,  whether  employe 
will  be  sitting  or  standing,  stooping  or  walking;  the 
preferable  age,  weight  and  height  of  an  employe; 
whether  employe  should  be  right  or  left-handed;  the 
starting  wage;  the  time  taken  by  an  average  employe 
to  earn  an  advance  in  wages;  the  probable  maximum 
earnings  of  the  position,  and  whether  the  job  is  steady 
or  seasonal."2 

The  vocational  director  should  be  able  to  take  this 
class  of  analysis  and  so  co-ordinate  it  with  pupil  anal- 
ysis that  his  knowledge  may  be  a  power  in  that  type 
of  educational  guidance  which  will  assist  pupils  in 
wise  vocational  selection. 

Too  much  importance  cannot  be  placed  upon  the  in- 
terview with  the  young  when  using  this  information 
for  purposes  of  guidance — in  each  interview  the  future 
of  the  human  being  may  be  at  stake  and  the  very  best 
of  human  ability  is  never  wise  enough  to  equal  the  re- 
sponsibility. Broad  sympathies,  wide  experience  in  so- 
cial and  industrial  life  and  keen  insight  into  human 
nature  are  the  minimum  requirements.    What  shall  we 

1  Advanced  copy  of  the   Report  for   1916. 

*  Knowledge  of  the  physical  requirements  of  any  industry  and  the 
qualities  necessary  to  withstand  the  strain  are  very  important.  I  have 
found'  this  to  be  especially  true  in  occupations  admitting  young  girls 
and  there  have  been  a  number  of  cases  in  which  physical  detriment 
has  been  avoided  by  knowing  the  requirements  of  Industry  and  the 
physical   ability  of  the  child. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  67 

do  to  improve  the  personality  and  at  the  same  time  save 
from  discouragement  the  boy,  clumsy  and  overgrown, 
who  tells  us  frankly  that  his  personality  has  stood  in 
his  way?  What  shall  we  say  to  the  child  who  admits 
everything  bad  and  asks,  "What  shall  I  do?"  What 
shall  we  advise  the  young  mother  who  insists  upon  en- 
tering industry,  with  the  burden  of  a  nameless  child?1 

After  vocational  information  has  been  secured  and 
incorporated  in  the  curriculum  and  after  vocational 
selection  has  been  made,  there  are  still  two  problems 
for  the  Central  office:  (1)  How,  through  employment 
supervision  and  evening  school  assistance,  may  we  help 
pupils  to  make  good,  and  (2)  how  shall  we  take  back 
and  readjust  the  failure?  This  follow-up  work  cannot 
be  done  by  the  teacher  and  must  be  one  of  the  duties  of 
the  Central  office.  The  reasons  are  obvious — no  teacher 
can  give  the  necessary  time  to  such  problems  to  make 
her  advisory  work  worth  while,  and,  more  than  that, 
no  individual  teacher  can  handle  enough  pupils  of  the 
same  type,  in  the  same  industry,  to  afford  her  a  broad 
enough  basis  for  generalizations.  It  is  also  difficult  for 
any  school  system  to  win  the  respect  of  business  houses 
if  a  number  of  different  coordinators  are  calling  upon 
them  for  the  same  purpose.  Our  educational  system 
is  centralized  and  our  vocational  work  must  be  so  if  we 
are  to  secure  business  co-operation.  Specialized  infor- 
mation is  also  necessary  in  forecasting  industrial 
change — the  vocational  director  who  neglects  the  trend 
of  industrial  progress  will  soon  cease  to  be  of  any 
value  as  an  advisor. 

Much  of  this  information  secured  by  the  Central 
office  can  be  passed  on  to  the  corps  in  group  meetings 
and  discussions,  but  it  is  sometimes  so  specialized  that 
it  will  not  be  of  use  except  for  the  individual  pupil. 
However  we  may  look  at  it,  there  must  be  much  voca- 
tional work  for  which  we  cannot  depend  upon  the  li- 

1  Eight  unmarried  mothers  under  18  years  of  age  have  sought  the 
advice  of  our  department  in  their  efforts  to  readjust  to  social  demands. 


68  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

brarian,  or  on  the  teacher,  and  there  must  be  some  form 
of  central  organization  which  controls  and  directs  its 
own  assistants.  Experiments  which  have  been  tried  in 
other  cities  are  cited  for  the  purpose  of  comparison  and 
for  whatever  suggestion  they  may  contain  for  Seattle. 

(1)  Vocational  Counselor  for  each  high  school,  for 
each  sex,  full  time,  covering  all  occupations. 

(2)  Vocational  Counselor  for  each  high  school,  for 
each  sex,  half  time,  covering  all  occupations. 

(3)  Vocational  Counselor  for  each  high  school, 
for  both  sexes,  full  time,  covering  all  occupations. 

(4)  Vocational  Counselor  for  group  grammar 
schools  with  the  same  variations  as  above. 

(5)  Vocational  Counselors  attached  to  the  Central 
office,  who  visit  each  school  on  assignment. 

These  different  plans  may  be  analyzed  with  refer- 
ence to  certain  general  and  obvious  principles. 

(1)  Vocational  Guidance  is  a  profession — less  than 
full  time  and  an  undivided  interest  will  end  in  guid- 
ance which  is  not  worth  while.  Half-time  guidance  has 
failed  wherever  it  has  been  tried  except  in  the  very 
small  city. 

(2)  Vocational  Guidance  in  which  one  person  at- 
tempts to  specialize  in  all  lines  results  in  no  specializa- 
tion and  no  vocational  information  worth  while. 

(3)  Vocational  Guidance  in  which  boys  must  accept 
the  services  of  women  only,  and  girls  the  services  of 
men  only,  will  lack  an  element  of  guidance  which  is 
very  helpful  on  the  moral  and  physical  side. 

(4)  Vocational  Guidance  which  provides  for  either 
high  school  or  grammar  school  exclusively  is  bad 
policy. 

(5)  Vocational  Guidance  which  incurs  excessive  ex- 
pense should  not  be  considered. 

Let  us  now  analyze  both  these  plans  and  these  gen- 
eral principles  with  reference  to  Seattle  conditions. 
(1)  Plan  1  or  Plan  2  would  cost  $1,500  for  each 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916,  69 

high  school   and  would   ignore  entirely  the  need  of 
grammar  school  guidance. 

(2)  Plan  3  would  be  still  more  expensive  and  would 
also  ignore  the  grammar  school  needs. 

(3)  Plans  1,  2  and  3  would  each  provide  that  class 
of  guidance  which  is  especially  mentioned  as  undesir- 
able— guidance  based  on  too  few  cases  and  too  narrow 
a  perspective  to  make  the  work  of  value. 

(4)  Plan  4  would  meet  the  needs  of  a  large  city.  It 
is  being  tried  in  Chicago  and  as  Seattle  grows  it  may 
be  a  desirable  method. 

(5)  Plan  5  would  seem  to  meet  our  conditions  with 
the  maximum  benefit  at  a  minimum  of  expense. 

(a)  It  would  provide  vocational  assistance  for 
both  grammar  schools  and  high  schools. 

(b)  It  would  provide  the  advice  of  both  men 
and  women  for  guidance  in  industries  where  moral 
and  physical  problems  are  important. 

(c)  It  would  allow  for  specialization — a  man 
on  commercial  lines  who  would  also  act  as  execu- 
tive secretary  for  the  central  department — a  man 
on  trades,  a  woman  on  counter  sales,  mechanical 
office  work  and  factories,  and  a  woman  on  do- 
mestic service  and  attendance  office  work. 

This  plan  for  four  assistants  would  not  be  advisable 
at  the  present  time  because  the  work  of  vocational 
guidance  does  not  yet  demand  that  number.  The  plan 
submitted  in  April  called  for  four  assistants  for  the 
consolidated  departments,  two  to  act  as  attendance 
officers  and,  therefore,  not  to  cause  additional  expense. 
The  service  secured  by  the  vocational  department  from 
these  two  workers  would  be  due  to  better  organization 
and  more  systematic  management  of  duties  and  time. 
As  suggested  in  the  April  report,  an  executive  secre- 
tary would  act  as  a  vocational  counselor  for  commer- 
cial lines  and  would  also  exercise  some  supervisory 
powers  in  the  educational  system;  a  woman  attend- 


70  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

ance  officer  would  also  act  as  counselor  for  factory  or 
domestic  service;  Mr.  Johnson  co-operates  most  effect- 
ively with  the  vocational  department  and  is  willing  and 
able  to  act  as  vocational  guide  for  the  trades.  The  re- 
mainder of  the  work  can  easily  be  handled  by  the  di- 
rector. 

L.    Examinations  for  Vocational  and  Attendance  Officers 

Vocational  guidance  is  a  specialized  line  of  educa- 
tional work  and  should  require  as  a  perquisite  to  elec- 
tion a  special  examination  along  departmental  lines — 
attendance  and  vocational  guidance.  Not  only  would 
this  tend  to  standardize  the  work  and  place  it  on  an 
equality  with  other  lines  o  feducational  work,  but  it 
would  save  pressure  for  election  from  many  applicants 
who  are  absolutely  unfitted  to  do  the  work  and  who 
might  possibly  be  permitted  to  attempt  it. 

Chicago  has  recently  organized  a  vocational  guid- 
ance department  and  has  held  examinations  for  this 
class  of  applicants.1  The  large  number  of  totally  un- 
qualified workers  who  have  solicited  positions  from 
us  indicates  the  need  of  standardization. 


1  Information  on  the  Chicago  system  is  given  in  full  in  the  Chicago 
Commerce. 


SECTION  II 
Curriculum   Suggestions 


SECTION   II 

What  can  the  schools  do  to  remedy  the  specific  de- 
fects mentioned  in  "Seattle  Children  in  School  and 
in  Industry ,"  and  recognized  by  both  educators  and 
business  men  as  worthy  of  attention? 

I.  Academic — accuracy,  rapidity  and  neatness 
in  the  fundamentals. 

II.  Character  —  honesty,     independence     and 
ability  to  follow  instructions. 

III.  Personality  —  hygiene,    business    dress, 
courtesy  and  refinement  in  speech  and  manner. 

I.    ACADEMIC  DEFECTS 

As  has  been  stated  earlier  in  the  report,  I  have 
made  no  effort  to  study  this  problem  scientifically. 
What  little  I  have  to  offer  has  been  secured  during 
personal  interviews  at  the  office,  or  during  my  visits  to 
the  schools  and  to  business  houses.  Throughout  the 
year  I  have  kept  at  hand  small  library  cards  on  which 
have  been  noted  matters  of  interest,  or  points  which 
were  suggestive  for  my  own  work.  These  cards  have 
accumulated  from  day  to  day  and  the  tabulated  re- 
sults of  my  observations  are  offered  for  what  they  may 
be  worth. 

A.    Spoken  English 

During  the  first  two  years  of  my  experience  I  was 
constantly  noting  the  large  number  of  school  pupils 
who  were  unable  to  express  themselves  clearly  and  cor- 
rectly. My  attention  was  called,  in  one  way  or  another, 
to  several  who  had  been  refused  vocational  opportu- 
nities because  of  incorrect  English  when  making  appli- 
cation. Two  stenographers  holding  our  high  school 
diploma  lost  their  positions  for  this  reason.  Occasion- 
ally an  employer  would  tell  me  of  similar  instances. 
Finally  I  began  to  question  what  might  be  the  extent 

73 


74  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

of  the  defect,  and  what  could  be  done  to  overcome  it? 
I  offer  what  has  been  condensed  from  my  library  cards 
in  the  hope  that  it  will  be  interpreted  by  the  corps  in 
terms  of  better  methods.  Three  hundred  and  eighty- 
three  (383)  different  pupils  calling  at  our  office  for 
various  purposes  have  used  English  in  their  office  in- 
terview which  was  sufficiently  incorrect  to  have  at- 
tracted attention  anywhere.  The  grammatical  errors 
of  324  of  these  pupils  centered  about  twelve  very  com- 
mon mistakes,  while  59  were  of  considerable  variety, 
such  as  "leave  me  go,"  "took  sick,"  etc. 
The  twelve  common  errors  follow : 

1.  That  there  7.  Come — came 

2.  This  here  8.  Give — gave 

3.  No — any  9.  Went — gone 

4.  Of — have  10.  Learn — teach 

5.  Them — those  11.  Was — were 

6.  Done — did  12.  Seen — saw 

Naturally  a  somewhat  limited  vocabulary  would  be 
used  in  a  conference  on  vocational  subjects,  but  even 
then  our  experiment  would  seem  to  indicate  that  gram- 
matical errors  are  few  in  number  and  are  constantly 
repeated  by  the  same  and  different  persons. 

In  order  to  test  the  practical  utility  of  formal  gram- 
mar in  overcoming  this  deficiency,  without  indicating 
that  I  had  noticed  any  errors,  I  habitually  asked  high 
school  pupils  to  correct  written  sentences  containing 
their  own  spoken  errors.  Without  a  single  exception  the 
errors  were  promptly  corrected  and  full  explanations 
as  to  the  rules  violated  were  given.  In  a  number  of  in- 
stances pupils  were  surprised  to  learn  that  they  had 
just  made  the  same  error  in  conversation  and  several 
admitted  that  they  had  not  acquired  such  habits  of 
watchfulness  over  speech  that  they  were  conscious  of 
errors.  Some,  who  knew  when  mistakes  occurred,  felt 
that  class  recitation  was  not  the  time  for  rectification 
while  later  correction  did  not  prove  beneficial.    Pupils, 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  75 

themselves,  realize,  although  they  do  not  express  it, 
that  there  is  too  much  abstract  teaching  in  English. 
We  discuss  the  correct  use  of  the  various  verbal  forms, 
the  pronoun  and  the  adverb,  when  each  is  reached  in 
the  course  of  study,  but  not  when  discussion  is  needed 
for  its  concrete  application  and  its  practical  value. 

There  seems  to  me  to  be  two  definite  prerequisites 
for  improvement:  (a)  Analyzation  of  the  different  kinds 
of  errors  that  need  treatment,  and  (b)  some  effective 
device  for  correction.  The  experiment  which  we  have 
tried  in  the  office  might  be  repeated  in  each  school.  At 
the  end  of  a  semester  it  would  be  possible  to  classify 
and  tabulate  the  exact  number  and  kind  of  errors  to  be 
overcome.  There  would  be  many  common  to  all  schools 
and  doubtless  there  would  be  others  peculiar  to  the 
various  localities. 

Kansas  City  has  recently  made  a  similar  study  and 
found  only  twenty-seven  grammatical  errors  common  to 
its  grammar  school  pupils.  Other  cities  are  outlining 
programs  for  the  same  sort  of  investigation.  Tabulated 
results  everywhere  tend  to  show  that  incorrect  English 
covers  a  small  range  but  is  often  repeated.  If  we  find 
this  to  be  true  in  Seattle,  the  next  step  will  be  to  devise 
methods  for  overcoming  these  specific  errors.  This  is  a 
problem  for  the  educational  department,  but  whatever 
method  may  be  tried  it  is  sure  to  fail  unless  we  can  en- 
courage habits  of  watchfulness  in  our  pupils.  Were  we 
to  correct  for  them  every  error  made  in  our  presence, 
we  could  not  be  omnipresent,  and  we  can  only  help 
them  permanently  by  showing  them  how  to  watch  and 
how  to  correct  their  own  speech. 

B.    Arithmetic 

Every  business  house  expects  of  its  employes  rapid- 
ity, accuracy  and  neatness  in  the  fundamental  proc- 
esses of  arithmetic.  There  is  constant  complaint  that 
the  schools  teach  neither  accuracy  nor  rapidity. 

We  have  tested  a  great  many  pupils  in  our  office 


76  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

and  find  good  cause  for  the  complaints.  Over  80  per 
cent,  of  accuracy  is  rare  and  speed  seems  to  be  consid- 
ered of  no  importance  whatever.  It  seems  to  me  that 
our  school  system  of  grading  in  arithmetic  is  absolutely 
indefensible.  Of  course  we  should  teach  processes,  and 
use  of  the  right  processes  is  indispensable,  but  of  what 
practical  value  is  the  right  process  unless,  by  its  use, 
we  can  reach  a  correct  conclusion?  Results,  in  prac- 
tical life,  are  of  no  use  if  less  than  100  per  cent,  correct. 
Pupils  go  from  school  to  their  business  life  with  the 
wrong  conception  of  what  constitutes  mathematical  ef- 
ficiency. One  of  our  boys  was  surprised  when  he  lost 
his  position  because  of  inaccuracy.  He  explained  to  us 
that  he  only  averaged  one  mistake  in  twenty,  which  was 
better  than  he  had  ever  done  in  school.  I  have  found 
no  business  office  looking  for  a  clerk  who  makes  one 
mistake  in  twenty,  even  if  he  does  rank  95  per  cent. 

Some  of  you  may  recall  that  S.  A.  Courtis  in  testing 
New  York  children  found  them  to  average  high  in  speed 
and  low  in  accuracy.  These  findings  were  tersely  inter- 
preted by  Superintendent  McAndrews  to  mean  that  "it 
takes  less  time  to  get  a  thing  wrong  here  than  it  does 
in  the  average  school  system."1 2 

In  addition  to  these  fundamental  requirements  I 
have  found  a  number  of  problems  of  practical  impor- 
tance related  to  mathematics  which  are  too  little  under- 
stood by  pupils.  Not  necessarily  because  of  business 
demands,  but  because  of  the  importance  of  each  pupil 
understanding  the  main  principles  upon  which  business 
is  based.  It  is  not  uncommon  for  senior  students  to  be 
unable  to  explain  "overhead."  We  frequently  offer  pu- 
pils problems  of  this  class:  "If  Mary  can  copy  six 
pages  an  hour  and  Clara  three  pages,  and  Mary  receives 
$10  a  week,  what  should  Clara  receive?"  or,  "If  Mary 

1  Report   on   Divisions   4   and    5   Elementary   Schools,    Brooklyn. 

*  I  do  not  take  up  this  subject  in  detail  nor  do  I  attempt  any  sug- 
gestions because  Assistant  Superintendent  Willard  has  been  working 
along  the  lines  of  increased  speed  and  accuracy  for  the  past  two  years. 
He  feels  optimistic  regarding  results  and  hopes  for  additional  improve- 
ments another  year. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  77 

can  make  2,000  buttonholes  in  a  day  and  Clara  4,000, 
what  proportion  of  Clara's  salary  should  Mary  re- 
ceive?" Such  problems  are  always  selected  with  refer- 
ence to  the  industry  which  the  pupil  is  entering  and  in 
no  instance  has  any  pupil  even  dreamed  of  the  "over- 
head" involved,  nor  has  it  occurred  to  any  of  them  that 
because  of  this  very  item  the  girl  who  can  make  but 
2,000  buttonholes  is  expensive  help  at  any  price. 

C.    Geography 

On  January  17,  1916,  a  place  geography  test  was 
held  in  the  Seventh  and  Eighth  grades  of  the  Seattle 
schools.  The  results  were  suggestive  but  not  particu- 
larly encouraging.  Pupils  were  asked  to  locate  in  the 
proper  place  within  the  state — Atlanta,  Denver,  Seat- 
tle, Minneapolis,  Chicago,  Cleveland,  Philadelphia, 
Buffalo,  Pittsburg  and  St.  Louis.  Returns  for  all 
schools  were  approximately  50  per  cent,  correct,  with 
the  Seventh  grade  results  slightly  higher  than  the 
Eighth.1 

Boston  has  just  published  results  of  a  similar  test. 
Her  list  includes — Minneapolis,  Pittsburg,  Lowell, 
New  Orleans,  Duluth,  Lynn  and  Galveston.2  With  71 
per  cent,  as  a  passing  grade,  53.5  per  cent,  of  the  pupils 
(594)  passed. 

Few  place  geography  tests  have  been  required  from 
the  pupils  whom  we  have  sent  out.  Six  have  returned 
to  us  with  their  test  questions.  All  six  have  failed  to 
pass  at  about  50  per  cent.,  on  exactly  the  same  class  of 
examination  as  that  of  the  Public  Schools.  Two  others, 
who  were  not  tested  prior  to  employment,  lost  positions 
because  of  repeated  failure  on  place  geography  in  ac- 
tual practice.  This  is  certainly  significant  for  the  edu- 
cational system. 

1  Place  geography  is  emphasized  in  the  seventh  grade.  The  fact 
that  the  returns  were  better  here  is  an  indication  that  memory,  rather 
than   ability   to   reason   from    geographical    data,    controls   our    methods. 

2  This  was  one  question  out  of*  ten.  The  Boston  study  covers  all 
phases  of  geographical  knowledge  and  is  an  interesting  report. 


78  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

The  actual  school  problem  is  more  difficult  to  ana- 
lyze, and  probably  will  be  more  difficult  to  solve,  than 
either  the  English  or  the  Arithmetic  problem.  Busi- 
ness requirements  in  English  and  in  mathematics  are 
identical  with  educational  requirements.  Recognizing 
our  problem  we  have  only  the  question  of  method  ad- 
justment. The  requirements  of  place  geography  cannot 
be  standardized,  not  only  with  reference  to  business 
and  education,  but  also  with  reference  to  the  demands 
of  different  occupations. 

The  aim  of  place  geography,  as  an  element  in  edu- 
cation, should  be  to  minimize  memory  power  and  to 
emphasize  reasoning  power — that  is,  remembering  the 
exact  location  of  any  given  city  merely  as  a  position  on 
the  map  is  not  education,  but  ability  to  recall  the  loca- 
tion of  a  city  as  influenced  by,  and  as  influencing,  its 
physical  environment  and  man's  activities  in  that  en- 
vironment, is  an  important  phase  of  education.  Even 
from  this  point  of  view  we  would  do  well  to  compare 
our  school  tests  with  the  tests  of  business  houses.  Shall 
we  study  Buffalo  or  Duluth,  Galveston  or  Atlanta,  as 
the  more  important  for  modern  commercial  life?  The 
reason  for  one  location  being  of  more  memory  value  to 
the  business  man  than  the  other  is  the  same  reason  that 
it  is  of  greater  educational  value  to  the  child.  Pitts- 
burg appears  in  every  list  and  scores  of  pupils  fail  to 
come  anywhere  near  the  correct  location.  It  hardly 
seems  possible  that  the  average  grammar  school  pupil 
does  not  understand  why  Pittsburg  is  located  as  it  is, 
what  the  location  has  meant  in  early  American  history 
and  what  it  means  to  economic  history  at  the  present 
time.  It  would  seem  to  me  that  there  must  be  so  many 
associations  connected  with  Pittsburg  that  almost  any 
one  of  them  would  vizualize  its  position  at  any  time. 
Uniformity  in  the  business  test  and  the  educational 
test  is  not  only  possible  but  is  advantageous  to  the 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  79 

educational  system.1  The  actual  business  demand  rela- 
tive to  place  geography  is  a  different  proposition  and  I 
have  not  yet  seen  how  the  schools  could  do  very  much  to 
make  the  pupils  more  efficient  except  to  call  their  at- 
tention to  the  special  needs  of  certain  occupations,  and 
urge  upon  them  such  study  in  employment  as  may  be 
necessary  to  meet  the  specific  demands.  Postal  clerks, 
Western  Union  employes  in  certain  lines,  file  clerks, 
clerks  in  large  mail  order  houses,  etc.,  cannot  depend 
upon  the  place  geography  of  the  schools.  Two  of  our 
boys  lost  such  positions  because,  after  what  seemed  to 
be  a  reasonable  time  for  preparation,  they  could  not 
locate  cities  correctly  within  the  different  parcel  post 
zones.  It  seemed  to  me  that  their  problem  was  indi- 
vidual, not  general,  and  that  they  should  have  acquired 
the  ability  to  solve  it  individually. 

To  summarize: 

(1)  Fifty  per  cent  efficiency  in  place  geography  ac- 
cording to  school  tests  corresponds  to  50  per  cent, 
efficiency  in  business  tests. 

(2)  The  business  test  is  satisfactorily  passed  if  it 
be  correct  even  if  based  on  memory  alone.  The  edu- 
cational test  is  never  satisfactory  unless  it  also  tests 
ability  to  reason  from  geographical  data. 

(3)  The  character  of  the  business  test  is  such  that 
the  schools  can  and  should  prepare  for  it,  but  they  can- 
not give  the  pupil  the  detail  of  place  geography  re- 
quired for  various  occupations.  They  can  develop  con- 
centration and  the  spirit  of  hard  work  which  will 
cause  pupils  to  respond  to  special  demands  on  their 
own  initiative. 

D.    Writing2 

Penmanship  is  much  more  important  than  the  aver- 
age pupil  realizes.     Handwriting  tests  are  always  re- 

1  Business  tests  as  a  rule  make  a  wiser  selection  of  test  cities  be- 
cause they  keep  in!  closer  touch  with  the  rather  rapid  changes  taking 
place  in   the  relative   importance  of  cities. 

2  Spelling  has  been  omitted  because  I  have  nothing  new  to  offer  and 
no   suggestions,  to  make   for  increased  efficiency. 


80  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

quired  in  certain  lines  and  large  numbers  are  rejected 
as  applicants  because  of  deficiency. 

It  hardly  seems  wise  to  have  two  systems  of  pen- 
manship taught  in  the  schools.  Why  should  not  uni- 
formity be  observed  throughout  the  entire  course? 

£.    Beading 

We  have  had  no  complaints  from  employers  on  this 
topic,  but  have  noticed  in  the  office  that  pupils  lack 
ability  to  read  rapidly  and  interpretatively  the  mate- 
rial we  offer.  Silent  reading  should  be  encouraged  if 
we  expect  our  pupils  to  be  able  to  acquire  much  infor- 
mation from  the  printed  page.  In  later  life  ability  to 
read  rapidly  and  superficially,  or  intensively,  as  the 
case  demands,  is  an  invaluable  asset.  Many  thousands 
of  pages  are  read  in  my  office  where  I  should  have  been 
limited  to  many  hundreds  had  I  not  been  taught  the 
habit  of  acquiring  information  rapidly  in  my  younger 
years. 

F.    Commercial  Education  in  the  Public  Schools 

Commercial  training1  is  the  only  phase  of  vocational 
education  offered  in  connection  with  our  public  school 
system.  Commercial  reactions  are  constantly  being 
received  from  practical  life  which  are  worthy  of  con- 
sideration. As  I  analyze  these  reactions,  in  the  light 
of  what  the  educator  conceives  to  be  the  purpose  of 
public  education,  I  am  continually  asking:  What  is 
the  prime  object  of  a  public  commercial  school?  Is 
it  to  educate  commercially  those  whom  it  believes  able 
to  qualify  for  success  in  business  life,  or  is  it  also  to 
educate,  as  well  as  their  abilities  permit,  the  pupils 
whom  it  believes  unable  to  so  qualify?  The  former 
view  is  strictly  vocational  and  is  always  the  one  from 
which  employers  judge  our  product.  The  latter  is 
strictly  educational  and  is  due  to  our  feeling  that  the 

1 1  use  this  term  rather  than,  "education"  because  It  more  nearly 
describes  our  commercial  system  as  at  present  organized. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  81 

public  educational  system  is  instituted  to  help  each 
pupil  realize  his  best  possibilities,  whether  such  pos- 
sibilities bring  high  or  low  price  in  the  labor  market. 
The  vocational  director  must  understand  and  sym- 
pathize with  both  views  and,  more  than  that,  he  must 
contribute,  through  vocational  guidance  to  the  solution 
of  the  problem  by  trying  to  meet  the  demands  of  each, 
without  sacrificing  the  interests  of  the  other. 

1.    Commercial  Education  for  Vocational  Diplomas 

If  we  are  to  regard  commercial  education  in  the 
light  of  vocational  preparation  for  successful  pursuit 
of  commercial  life,  do  we  know  well  the  field  for  which 
we  are  attempting  to  prepare?  Do  we  analyze  the 
abilities  of  our  pupils  with  reference  to  the  different 
demands?  What  effort  do  we  make  to  safeguard  our 
reputation,  and  the  wage-earning  opportunities  of  our 
graduates  by  making  some  recognized  distinction  be- 
tween the  pupil  whom  we  consider  "qualified,"  and  the 
one  whose  best  will  never  be  good  enough  to  meet  busi- 
ness demands? 

We  may  know  the  field  for  which  public  commercial 
education  in  Seattle  should  prepare,  but  if  we  do,  we 
can  hardly  claim  to  be  preparing  for  it. 

Commercial  occupations  may  be  roughly  classified 
as  competitive  or  administrative,  and  clerical.  Wheth- 
er the  specific  kind  of  work  belongs  in  the  one  classi- 
fication, or  in  the  other,  depends  less  upon  the  actual 
work  done,  than  upon  the  kind  of  business  in  which  it 
is  done.  Stenography  is  clerical  work.  In  the  whole- 
sale line  it  is  usually  a  stepping  stone  to  administra- 
tive positions,  while  in  the  retail  houses  it  remains 
office  routine.  Boys  have  little  use  for  shorthand,  and 
commercial  forecast  indicates  that  there  will  be  less 
and  less  demand  for  them  in  this  line.  Stenography, 
on  the  other  hand,  is  required  for  nearly  all  the  higher 
paid  positions  open  to  girls.  Boys  as  a  rule  fill  the 
administrative  positions,  girls  the  clerical.    Are  we  us- 


82  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916, 

ing  our  knowledge  of  difference  in  demands  to  organize 
our  curriculum  for  the  best  good  of  each  sex,  or  are  we 
offering  all  the  same  course  without  reference  to  its  fu- 
ture utility? 

Employers  in  Seattle  frequently  send  for  a  boy  who 
wants  to  go  into  commercial  lines.  When  I  ask, 
"Would  stenography  be  a  help?"  the  reply  is,  "Oh,  my, 
no ;  that's  a  girl's  work ;  we  want  an  office  boy  to  work 
out  into  the  administrative  side" ;  or  "We  want  a  bright 
boy  of  the  right  type.  We'll  teach  him  more  about  com- 
mercial life  in  a  week  than  you  can  teach  him  in  four 
years." 

Business  men  throughout  the  country  have  a  gen- 
eral concept  of  the  type  of  business  education  which 
is  needed  for  progress,  but  they  do  not  feel  that  it  is 
either  understood  or  offered  by  public  education.  In- 
deed, they  do  not  ask  us  to  offer  the  actual  commercial 
education,  but  rather  to  provide  a  better  background 
of  what  they  term  general  education.  They  ask  for 
accuracy  in  the  fundamentals ;  the  type  of  mental  arith- 
metic which  can  tell  at  a  glance  whether  a  column  is 
footed  correctly  or  not;  they  ask  for  initiative,  ability 
to  grasp  business  ideas  and  methods,  honesty,  and 
perseverance  under  difficulties.1 

Requirements  for  girls  are  entirely  different.  Cleri- 
cal training  in  specialized  lines  is  an  absolute  essential 
to  success.  Progress  depends  upon  individual  ability 
and  the  opportunities  offered  in  clerical  lines  for  pro- 
motion. We  have  organized  our  courses  well  to  meet 
this  demand  and,  barring  the  general  criticism  as  to 
academic  accuracy,  lack  of  knowledge  of  business 
standards  and  carelessness  in  dress  and  manner,  we 
find  our  product  giving  satisfaction. 

It  is  impossible  to  give  this  subject  the  attention 
which  it  merits,  but  it  would  seem  to  me  that  we  must 

1  Modern  commercial  education  from  the  point  o<£  view  of  the  busi- 
ness man  Is  well  discussed  in  Chicago  Commerce,  July  16,  1916,  and 
also  In  the  Report  of  the  National  Trade  Council  which  met  recently 
In  New  Orleans. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  83 

have  more  practical  commercial  knowledge  regarding 
the  field  in  which  our  pupils  are  to  use  their  education, 
before  we  can  know  how  to  give  them  the  best  prepara- 
tion. It  would  seem,  also,  as  though  we  should  give 
our  diplomas  to  those  whom  we  are  willing  to  send  out 
as  qualified  for  the  positions  which  they  are  attempt- 
ing to  fill,  and  that  they  should  be  refused  to  the  type 
of  pupil  whom  we  are  interested  in  educationally,  but 
whom  we  cannot  recommend  vocationally.  I  do  not 
mean  that  such  pupils  should  be  refused  vocational 
assistance,  nor  should  they  be  refused  a  statement  as 
to  their  actual  abilities.  Something  of  this  kind  should 
take  the  place  of  a  diploma  so  that  the  business  men 
would  understand  just  what  commercial  graduation 
implied.  Other  methods  of  solution  are  possible.  It 
might  be  better  to  require  six  months  of  successful  ex- 
perience prior  to  granting  any  diplomas.  Any  plan 
which  would  differentiate  between  these  two  classes  of 
graduates  would  be  worthy  of  trial. 

The  first  step  toward  broadening  the  scope  of  our 
commercial  courses  is  the  organization  of  an  advisory 
committee.  I  have  observed  the  advantage  of  such 
committees  in  connection  with  the  University  Exten- 
sion Courses  and  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  The  best  of  Seattle's 
commercial  experience  is  utilized  by  both  of  these  in- 
stitutions, while  the  public  school  system  is  badly  in 
need  of  the  same  class  of  advice.  Our  school  account- 
ant serves  as  a  member  of  both  committees.  Why  not 
have  his  assistance  for  our  schools  as  well  as  pass  it 
on  to  others  ?  All  new  and  suggestive  commercial  mate- 
rial which  comes  to  my  office  is  borrowed  for  advisory 
use  by  these  two  outside  organizations. 

2.    Vocational  Guidance  and  Commercial  Education 

Vocational  guidance  in  connection  with  any  special- 
ized line  is  of  a  two-fold  character.  Vocational  guid- 
ance in  making  the  selection  from  the  general  field  of 
employment  is  general  vocational  guidance,  and  assist- 


84  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

ance  can  be  rendered  by  the  central  department.  After 
the  commercial  field  has  been  decided  upon,  vocational 
guidance  within  the  field  must  come  largely  from  the 
class  or  department  teacher. 

If  the  pupil  fails  to  qualify  in  any  phase  of  the 
specialized  field  it  becomes  the  duty  of  the  central 
department  to  take  the  pupil  back,  as  it  were,  and  try 
to  help  him  find  a  new  field  better  fitted  to  his  abilities. 
I  think  this  plan  should  be  tried  for  many  pupils  now 
in  our  commercial  courses.  They  are  there,  not  be- 
cause they  are  fitted  for  the  work,  but  because  we  have 
no  other  practical  course  to  offer.  The  commercial  de- 
partments are  overloaded  with  vocational  problems 
which  do  not  belong  to  them,  but  rather  to  the  voca- 
tional director. 

3.    Course  for  Office  Boys 

We  have  had  many  calls  in  our  department  for 
office  boys  who  possessed  the  qualities  demanded  for 
success  and  who  could  be  promoted  as  they  learned  the 
business.  Many  such  boys  attempt  to  fill  positions  and 
fail,  because  they  have  so  little  idea  of  business  de- 
mands and  are  not  sufficiently  alert  to  acquire  new 
knowledge  of  their  own  volition.  Complaints  of  this 
class  are  common: 

"They  are  not  careful  about  personal  appearance." 
"They  don't  understand  that  I'm  paying  for  their 

time." 

"They  don't  know  enough  to  answer  the  telephone 

correctly." 

"They  don't  know  how  to  use  the  city  directory." 

"They  can't  put  anything  in  its  place." 

"They    don't    understand    what    initiative    means, 

etc." 

If  we  could  organize  a  class  for  office  boys  to  meet 

once  a  week,  I  believe  we  could  contribute  something 

to  the  solution  of  this  problem. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  85 

II.    CHABACTEB  REQUIBEMENTS 

The  National  Association  of  Corporation  Schools, 
in  the  advanced  sheets  of  the  Report  of  its  Committee 
on  Public  Education,  to  be  discussed  at  the  annual 
meeting  this  year,  reflects  the  latest  opinions  of  em- 
ployers on  the  problems  of  vocational  equipment. 
After  discussing  the  academic  curriculum  and  the  text- 
book problem,  it  summarizes  its  conclusions  as  follows : 

"After  all,  it  appears  to  be  a  fact  that  employers 
lay  less  stress  on  the  educational  qualifications  of  their 
employes  than  on  character,  appearance,  skill,  person- 
ality, willingness  to  work,  adaptability,  and  other  simi- 
lar assets.  From  this  it  would  seem  that  the  person- 
nel of  a  teaching  force,  the  type  of  mind,  and  the  char- 
acter of  the  people  with  whom  the  child  is  brought  in 
daily  contact  is  of  even  more  importance  than  the 
method  of  instruction  or  even  than  the  subject  to  be 
studied." 

This  is  not  our  only  source  of  information  as  to 
business  estimates  of  character  essentials.  Last  year 
we  collected  and  classified  the  same  type  of  information 
from  over  200  of  the  leading  business  houses,  and  from 
about  fifty  of  the  largest  schools  of  the  country.  In  not 
one  of  the  200  business  replies  did  we  find  any  mention 
of  what  we  are  ordinarily  pleased  to  term  "education." 
A  large  number  mentioned  general  intelligence,  but  the 
only  specific  educational  requirement  was  "correct 
use  of  English."  This  appeared  a  number  of  times.  By 
far  the  most  common  type  of  expression  was,  "an  edu- 
cational system  that  will  develop  gumption,  initiative, 
independence,  imagination,  alertness,  and  self-reliance." 

We  have  sufficient  evidence  to  standardize  the  opin- 
ions of  business  houses  as  to  character  essentials.  Their 
requirements  are  also  the  requirements  of  society  in 
general.  With  unanimity  in  demand,  concerted  action 
should  be  made  to  meet  the  requirements. 

Convinced  that  some  definite  effort  for  character  de- 
velopment in  connection  with  education  was  essential 


86  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

and,  if  rightly  handled,  would  be  beneficial,  we  have 
made  experiments  along  two  lines.  One  was  depend- 
ent entirely  on  the  teacher  for  success;  the  other  was 
more  dependent  on  the  vocational  department. 

(1)  During  the  months  of  July  and  August,  a  com- 
mittee, appointed  by  the  Superintendent,  met  and  out- 
lined a  course  of  study  along  the  lines  of  character  de- 
velopment. The  best  methods  of  pupil  approach  and 
the  best  available  material  were  indicated.  Outlines 
were  furnished  to  buildings  interested  in  this  subject. 
From  all  reports  which  I  have  received  the  returns  have 
been  excellent.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  more  effort  along 
the  same  line  will  be  made  next  year. 

'  (2)  The  second  plan  was  instituted  by  our  office 
for  the  express  purpose  of  forcing  pupils  to  realize  that 
education,  in  all  forms,  has  a  meaning  for  life;  that 
habits  formed  in  school  will  be  carried  over  into  busi- 
ness life  and  will  make  for  either  success  or  failure.  A 
recommendation  blank  was  prepared  summarizing  the 
requirements  for  which  there  seemed  to  be  a  unanimous 
demand.1  Every  pupil  who  has  come  to  our  office  has 
been  obliged  to  bring  the  school  estimate  of  his  quali- 
ties as  indicated  in  the  blank.  Of  course  there  is  much 
difference  in  interpretation  of  terms,  and  much  diver- 
sity in  grading  systems,  but  we  have  been  more  than 
pleased  with  the  returns  on  the  experiment.  Princi- 
pals and  teachers  feel  that  it  has  been  especially 
helpful : 

(a)  In  indicating  the  importance  of  right  habit 
formation. 

(b)  In  connecting  school  with  life. 

(c)  In  lessening  trouble  with  discipline. 

(d)  In  broadening  the  service  of  the  teacher. 
When  the  pupil  brings  his  estimate  to  the  office  it 

forms  the  basis  of  our  conference.  We  obtain  our  best 
results  when  the  pupil  and  teacher  have  already  been 

1  Appendix   II   contains  a  copy  of  the  blank. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1 913-1916.  87 

over  the  strong  and  weak  points,  discussing  the  value 
of  one  and  the  disadvantage  of  the  other.  No  matter 
what  our  ideal,  American  life  is  still  very  largely  con- 
trolled by  the  dollar,  and  there  are  several  very  telling 
questions  which  every  pupil  understands:  Would  you 
be  willing  to  hire  yourself?  What  does  any  business 
house  want  of  a  boy  who  ranks  "fair"  in  co-operation? 
What  can  an  employer  afford  to  pay  a  girl  graded 
"poor"  in  courtesy  when  his  success  in  business  de- 
pends upon  a  high  understanding  of  this  same  quality  ? 
Who  wants  a  boy  marked  "fair"  in  promptness  or  in 
accuracy?  How  did  you  happen  to  get  such  marks? 
What  specific  things  must  be  done  for  improvement? 

In  a  few  cases  a  poor  record  has  been  returned  by 
an  employer  marked:  "Can't  use  this  type  of  boy." 
When  this  happens,  every  boy  in  school  seems  to  know 
it  and  the  effect  is  excellent. 

Employers  have  been  uniformly  kind  about  sending 
back  the  lower  half  of  the  blank,  and  there  are  now 
several  of  our  best  firms  who  will  not  consider  the  ap- 
plication of  boys  and  girls  under  18  without  our  recom- 
mendation. Nearly  every  day  pupils  come  to  the  office, 
often  those  who  have  been  out  of  school  a  year  or  more, 
asking  these  recommendations  for  employers. 

Under  this  plan  twelve  pupils  whose  school  records 
were  poor  have  returned  to  school  to  better  their  stand- 
ing. One  young  boy  who  brought  an  unusually  bad 
report  was  astonished  to  find  how  much  value  we  placed 
upon  it.  He  very  readily  selected  his  own  weak  points, 
told  me  that  he  deserved  it  all  and  would  bring  me 
back  something  next  year  that  "would  make  me  sit 
up  and  take  notice  when  he  wanted  a  place." 

I  have  used  these  character  blanks  freely  in  public 
meetings  and  many  parents  have  asked  for  them  for 
home  use  in  order  to  co-operate  with  us  in  our  study. 

This  phase  of  vocational  guidance  is  one  of  the 
lines  mentioned  before  in  which  success  is  due  to  con- 
tact between   mind   and   mind   and   its   methods   can 


88  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

neither  be  explained  nor  taught,  but  it  is  the  backbone 
of  the  whole  vocational  guidance  system.  If  counsel- 
lors cannot  handle  effectively  this  side  of  the  work, 
they  cannot  hope  to  be  more  than  employment  mana- 
gers. I  should  advise  retaining  this  element  in  the 
work  if  all  else  must  be  lost,  and  I  most  sincerely  hope 
that  its  importance  may  be  realized  in  organizing  the 
new  department.  Whatever  promotes  character  devel- 
opment is  always  justifiable  educational  work. 

III.    PERSONALITY 

What  is  personality?  It  is  certainly  more  than 
mere  outward  appearance.  Possibly  we  might  say  that 
it  is  character  and  ability  revealed  in  outward  appear- 
ance. Whatever  it  is,  it  is  worth  cultivating  and  is  one 
of  the  most  valuable  assets  a  pupil  has  in  seeking  vo- 
cational opportunities.  Over  and  over  I  have  been  told 
by  employers  that  personality  controls  nine-tenths  of 
the  decision  in  selection.  Specific  criticisms  as  to  dress, 
manner  and  methods  of  presenting  qualifications  are 
easy  to  obtain. 

If  only  we  could  realize  that  the  moment  our  pupils 
enter  the  door  they  begin  to  express  their  personality. 
How  do  they  enter?  Are  they  neatly  dressed?  Are 
they  ladylike  in  manner  and  conversation?  Do  they 
lay  a  wet  umbrella  on  our  office  table?  Do  they  put 
their  feet  on  our  table? 

I  have  often  tried  to  explain  to  pupils  that  every 
salesman  must  advertise  his  goods  before  he  can  sell 
them.  The  most  important  sale  they  will  ever  have  to 
make  is  the  sale  of  their  own  ability.  How  are  they 
going  to  advertise  it?  Gum  chewing  may  make  a  child 
very  happy,  but,  ability  advertised  chewing  gum,  is  not 
ability  advertised  to  the  best  advantage. 

Last  week  a  mother  called  with  her  daughter  to 
consult  regarding  employment.  She  explained  to  me,  in 
the  presence  of  the  girl,  that  the  child  was  now  15 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  89 

and  must  earn  her  own  living  in  some  way;  she  was 
undersized,  which  of  course  would  not  appeal  to  em- 
ployers, and  she  was  very  slow  mentally  or  she  would 
have  been  through  the  grades  long  ago.  I  watched  the 
child  as  the  mother  enumerated  her  poor  qualities. 
She  concluded  with  the  remark  that  the  teachers  had 
done  nothing  to  make  the  child  worth  more  financially. 
Both  mother  and  child  were  chewing  gum,  both  had  un- 
clean teeth,  the  little  girl,  was  very  unbecomingly 
dressed  and  her  hair  completely  covered  both  forehead 
and  ears.  As  I  drew  the  child  out  in  conversation  she 
became  quite  attractive  and  I  wondered  whether  she 
lacked  desirable  personality  or  whether  personality 
was  advertised  to  the  worst  possible  advantage.  We 
have  to  learn  to  advertise  our  personality,  as  well  as 
to  acquire  it.  In  this  particular  instance  the  mother 
seemed  to  be  the  worst  offender  and  I  told  her  that 
I  should  feel  discouraged  neither  by  age,  nor  size,  but 
that  there  were  a  few  things  which  would  be  decidedly 
disadvantageous  in  the  eyes  of  the  employer.  They 
were  not  things  for  which  either  Providence  or  the 
teacher  were  responsible,  but  things  which  came  within 
the  province  of  the  home.  I  then  mentioned  gum  chew- 
ing, unclean  teeth,  the  child's  dress  and  hair. 

Awkward  and  clumsy  boys,  over-confident  boys, 
timid  and  self-conscious  girls,  over-dressed  and  under- 
educated  girls,  each  type  must  be  studied  at  close 
range.  The  problem  cannot  be  solved  all  at  once. 
Sometimes  a  pupil  comes  to  the  office  several  times  be- 
fore I  make  any  suggestion,  and  sometimes  I  make  it 
during  the  first  call.  This  phase  of  vocational  guidance 
is  closely  related  to  character  study  and  requires  the 
same  type  of  methods — those  which  can  neither  be  ex- 
plained nor  taught. 


SECTION  III 

Report  of  the  Vocational  and  Attendance 
Departments  1915-16 


SECTION  III 

Report  of  the  Vocational  and  Attendance 
Departments  1915-16 

There  are  three  series  of  statistical  tabulations  in- 
cluded in  this  report: 

I.  Elimination  Statistics. 

II.  Statistics  indicating  the  volume  and  char- 
acter of  work  passing  through  the  Vocational  De- 
partment. 

III.  Financial  Statement. 

L    ELIMINATION  STATISTICS 

One  thousand  one  hundred  seventy-three  (1,173) 
pupils  were  eliminated  from  the  system  in  1915-16. 
This  does  not  include  228  high  school  and  654  elemen- 
tary school  pupils  who  left  the  city  permanently. 

These  statistics  are  encouraging,  considering  the 
growth  of  school  population.  During  the  three  years 
of  my  service  elimination  reports  show  little  variation.* 


Grades 

High  School 

Total 

1913-14 

357 
278 
363 

721 
915 
810 

1078 

1914-15 

1193 

1915-16 

1173 

Tables  I.  and  II.  indicate  age,  grade  and  retardation 
of  eliminated  pupils  by  sex.  Assuming  that  all  pupils 
who  are  14  years  of  age  or  under  are  either  normal 
or  advanced  in  grade,  which  is  not  the  case,  we  still 
have  45.9  per  cent,  of  elementary  girls  and  68.1  per 

1  This  report  Includes  Information  relative  to  school  leaving  and 
labor  permits  and  the  employments  entered  by  pupils  receiving  them. 
It  does  not  include  other  features  of  attendance  office  work. 

*  I  do  not  think  absolute  accuracy  in  reporting  elimination  has 
been  attained,  but  each  year  the  number  of  known  inaccuracies  has 
diminished  and  in  time  we  should  have  absolute  facts. 


94 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 


cent,  of  elementary  boys  retarded ;  57.7  per  cent,  of  high 
school  girls  and  62.5  per  cent,  of  high  school  boys  re- 
tarded. 


Table   I.     Age,   Grade  and   Retardation,   Eliminated    Pupils,    1915-16 

Girls 


Grades 

High  Schools 

Age 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

Tot. 

9 

10 

11 

12 

P.G. 

Tot. 

Grand 
Total 

14  or  under.. . . 

17 

7 
1 
1 

11 
3 

14 

8 

10 

5 

1 

8 
20 
4 
5 

65 

35 

12 

7 

2 

32 
48 
49 
33 
13 
6 

2 
10 
27 
32 
19 

9 

34 
60 
81 
75 
56 
38 

99 

15 

2 
3 

8 
15 
8 

95 

16 

2 
2 

8 

4 

"i* 

11 

93 

17 

82 

18 

1 

58 

Over  18 

38 

Total 

17 

9 

16 

17 

24 

38 

121 

181 

99 

36 

16 

12 

344 

465 

Table  II.     Age,  Grade  and  Retardation,  Eliminated  Pupils,   1915-16 

Boys 


Grades 

High  Schools 

Age 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

Tot. 

9 

10 

11 

12 

P.G. 

Tot. 

Grand 
Total 

14  or  under 

21 

8 
2 

6 
4 

4 

10 
14 
6 

17 

25 

9 

2 

14 

55 

37 

7 

76 

100 

56 

10 

24 
58 
56 
35 
15 
24 

2 

8 
25 
47 
17 
17 

26 
67 
87 
99 
58 
88 

102 

15 

"4' 
11 
16 
20 

1 
2 
6 
10 
19 

**8' 

167 

16 

143 

17 

109 

18 

58 

Over  18 

88 

Total 

21 

10 

14 

31 

53 

113 

242 

212 

116 

51 

38 

8 

425 

667 

Information  incomplete  on   41   cards. 


Table  III.  gives  the  nationality  of  the  same  group 
with  quite  a  large  number  unaccounted  for.  This  in- 
formation is  of  value  only  as  indicating  the  various 
nationalities  represented  and  the  percentage  of  total 
elimination  among  American  and  foreign  born.  It 
would  be  of  considerable  additional  value  had  we  the 
data1  to  compare  the  percentage  of  total  registration 
and  of  total  elimination  with  reference  to  each  national 
group. 

1  Our  day  school  records  should  give  the  nativity  and  nationality  of 
pupils  and  also  the  occupation  of  parents. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 


95 


Table  III. 

Nationality  of  Eliminated  Pupils  1915-16 

Nationality 

Foreign  Born 
Foreign 
Parents 

Native   Born 
Foreign 
Parents 

United  States 

Total 

Grand 
Total 

Grades 

H.S. 

Grades 

H.S. 

Grades 

H.S. 

Grades 

H.S. 

United  States- 
White 

101 
6 

529 
2 

101 
6 

18 
14 
18 
11 
11 
4 
7 

529 

2 

25 

31 

22 

3 

17 

13 

6 

4 
10 
25 

9 
11 
5 
9 

630 

8 

1 
4 

3 
6 
1 

4 
3 
3 
2 
4 
2 
1 
1 

17 
10 
15 
5 
10 
4 
7 

21 
28 
19 

1 

13 
11 

5 

43 

45 

40 

Italy 

14 

England 

28 

Scotland 

17 

13 

Wales 

1 

Austria 

1 
5 
5 

1 

4 
6 
19 

5 
10 

1 

5 

Russia 

4 

6 
1 

"V 

15 

Canada 

35 

Turkey 

2 

Holland 

9 

Denmark 

6 

1 

6 
4 

15 

3 

11 
5 
2 

15 

5 

Miscellaneous 

7 

4 

7 

ii 

20 

Totals 

37 

49 

84 

144 

107 

531 

228 

724 

952 

ted 

221 

1173 

Table  IV.  summarizes  the  reasons  for  elimination1. 

Table  IV.     Reasons  Why  Children  Leave  School 


Grades 

High  School 

Grand  Totals 

Reasons 

Girls 

Boys 

Total 

Girls 

Boys 

Total 

Girls 

Boys 

Total 

24 
2 

38 
2 
5 

23 
3 

7 

13 

1 
83 

"i7" 

24 

32 

3 

31 

"44" 

37 

3 

121 

2 

22 

47 

3 

39 

3 

41 

1 
71 

126 
30 
65 

'  42* ' 
31 

8 

13 

"ii" 

6 

17 

71 

7 

116 

1 

29 

18 

1 

11 

7 

102 

3 

25 

197 
37 
181 
1 
71 
49 
9 

24 

7 

156 

9 

42 

150 

32 

103 

2 

47 

54 

11 

20 

"64'" 

7 

44 

84 

8 

199 

46 
42 

1 

43 

10 

133 

3 

69 

234 

40 

Economic  pressure 

302 
3 

Indifferent,  trouble,  dislike. 
Enter  other  schools 

93 
96 
12 

Not  pass,  too  large,  dis- 
couraged, misfit 

63 
10 

10 

27 

197 

10 

Other  reasons 

113 

Total 

142 

248 

390 

392 

391 

783 

534 

639 

1173 

Grand  Totals 

....11 

ra 

1173 

1  We  are  still  using  the  School  Leaving  Blank  which  was  originated 
for  securing  elimination  data  for  "Seattle  Children."  It  has  been  out 
of  date  for  some  time  but  owing  to  the  fact  that  there  was  quite  a  sup- 
ply in  stock  we  have  continued  to  use  it.  The  supply  is  now  exhausted 
and  the  blank  should  be  reorganized  to  correspond  to  the  development 
of  the  service  which  it  was  instituted  to  render. 


96  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

In  comparison  with  statistics  for  1913-14,  we  find 
several  rather  remarkable  variations  which  would 
make  an  interesting  study  were  there  not  great  prob- 
ability that  much  of  the  difference  is  due  to  interpreta- 
tion of  causes  rather  than  to  actual  change  in  causes. 

Our  office  visited  the  homes  of  446  of  these  pupils, 
159  from  the  grammar  school  and  287  from  the  high 
school.  Two  hundred  sixty-three  (263)  called  at  the 
office  for  consultation  before  we  had  time  to  visit  the 
home.  The  causes  of  elimination  for  pupils  in  these 
two  groups  were  secured  and  interpreted  by  us  person- 
ally. The  causes  of  elimination  for  the  remaining  464 
were  taken  from  the  school  statement.  Our  report  for 
1913-14  was  based  entirely  on  personal  visits  and,  in  so 
many  instances,  we  found  the  school  reason  to  be  so 
different  from  the  real  reason  that  we  are  inclined  to 
question  the  validity  of  some  of  the  causes  assigned  for 
elimination.1 

Personal  illness,  as  a  cause  of  elimination,  appears 
to  have  increased  rather  remarkably.  As  it  was  a 
favorite  reason  two  years  ago,  but  was  so  rarely  veri- 
fied by  home  visits,  I  am  inclined  to  question  the  sta- 
tistics. We  called  recently  at  a  home  where  the  reason 
for  elimination  was  "illness."  Our  inquiries  as  to  the 
daughter's  health  were  most  amusing  to  the  mother. 
She  allowed  us  to  interview  a  stout,  healthy  girl  who 
had  never  been  ill  a  day  in  her  life. 

Economic  pressure  appears  to  have  decreased  in  the 
grades  and  to  have  remained  unchanged  in  the  high 
school.  These  statstics  seem  logical  because,  although 
economic  pressure  in  the  home  may  not  have  decreased, 
the  minimum  wage  law  has  tended  to  deny  employment 
to  many  grammar  school  pupils.  This  is  especially  true 
regarding  girls.  Statistics  for  boys  and  girls  indicate 
the  same  facts. 

Trouble  in  school  has  diminished,  while  preference 


1  The    Importance    of   checking    school    reasons    by    home    visitation 
was  discussed  in  "Seattle  Children  in  School  and  in  Industry." 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  97 

for  work  has  increased.     I  interpret  this  as  a  mere 
transference  of  cause  from  one  group  to  the  other. 

To  enter  other  schools  has  increased  from  26  in 
1913-14  to  96  for  the  current  year.  This  factor  in 
elimination  should  be  watched  another  year.  I  have 
not  sufficient  data  to  warrant  interpretation. 

A  smaller  number  left  to  learn  trades.  This  is  de- 
cidedly interesting  in  connection  with  the  changes  in 
economic  conditions  and  in  comparison  with  actual 
facts  regarding  apprentice  statistics.  Of  the  19  who 
left  to  learn  a  trade  in  1913-14,  10  were  girls.  This 
year  no  girls  left  for  the  same  purpose.  In  1913-14, 
nine  boys  left  for  this  purpose,  four  of  whom  were 
grammar  school  boys.  This  year  10  boys  have  left  for 
trade  training,  but  seven  of  the  number  were  high 
school  boys. 

Our  own  placement  records  show  a  considerable 
increase  in  the  number  of  boys  entering  trades.  The 
industrial  situation  in  Seattle  for  the  last  few  months 
is  sufficient  explanation  on  one  side.  On  the  other  side, 
it  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  we  have  offered 
boys,  who  were  recommended  for  trade  abilities,  all  the 
encouragement  we  could  to  prepare  for  skilled  workers. 

Permits 

A  certain  number  of  pupils,  who  are  under  the  con- 
trol of  the  compulsory  education  law,  drop  out  each 
year  and  seek  employment  with  the  permission  of  the 
Superintendent.1  Others,  beyond  the  reach  of  compul- 
sory education,  secure  labor  permits.  A  few  who  at- 
tend school  regularly  have  labor  certificates  for  after 
school  and  Saturday  employment.  Occasionally,  a 
school  leaving  permit  is  granted  for  physical  reasons. 

Table  V.  shows  the  total  number  of  permits  of  all 
classes  granted  by  the  attendance  office  this  year. 

1  The  cause  is  always  economic   pressure. 


98  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 


Table    V.     Permits    Granted1    1915-16 


Boys 


Girls 


Total 


Labor  permits 

School  leaving 

Vacation 

After  school  and  Saturday 
Health 

Total 


78 


149 


Four  permits  were  granted  which  were  unnecessary. 


Tables  VI.  and  VII.  give  age,  grade  and  retarda- 
tion of  permit  pupils.  These  statistics  may  be  com- 
pared with  similar  facts  for  both  1913-14  and  1914-15. 
The  conclusions  are  decidedly  interesting  because  they 
illustrate  in  part  the  influence  of  the  wage  laws.  In 
1913-14  the  wage  laws  had  no  opportunity  to  influence 
child  labor  and  there  were  277  permits  granted.  Two 
years  later  with  sufficient  time  to  feel  the  influence  of 
the  laws,  we  find  149  permits  issued.3 

Still  more  significant  is  the  variation  in  sex  num- 
bers receiving  permits  in  the  two  years.  In  1913-14, 
1628  girls  and  115  boys  received  permits,  while  in 
1915-16  the  statistics  for  girls  are  78  and  for  boys  75. 
In  1913-14,  113,  out  of  154  girls,  came  from  the  gram- 
mar school,  with  the  largest  percentage  from  the  eighth 
grade.  This  year  the  largest  percentage  comes  from 
the  high  school  and  is  just  under  16  years  of  age. 

1  Permits  Issued  for  the  summer  vacation  1915-16  are  omitted  as  the 
report  was  made  July  1,  1916. 

2 1  hardly  think  there  is  an  actual  difference  of  128.  In  1913-14 
each  permit  received  a  different  number  whether  it  were  an  original  or 
a  renewal.  This  year  each  Individual  has  a  different  number  and  re- 
newals are  indicated  by  exponents.  Moreover,  a  shorter  period  of  time 
is  covered  in  1915-16  and  labor  conditions  had  altered  materially. 

8  We  would  naturally  expect  more  permits  among  girls  because  the 
age  exemption  is  16  years,  while  for  boys  it  is  14. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 


99 


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Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 


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Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  101 

Interpreted  in  the  light  of  the  wage  laws,  these 
facts  mean  that,  in  some  lines  of  work  formerly  employ- 
ing girls  from  the  grammar  school,  boys  are  now  being 
used.  It  also  means  that  the  grammar  school  girl  is 
worth  the  $6.00  wage  in  very  few  lines  and  is  being 
supplanted  by  the  high  school  girl  under,  or  over,  16 
years  of  age. 

I  can  hardly  pass  this  subject  without  calling  atten- 
tion to  the  new  demand  which  I  believe  the  wage  laws 
are  going  to  make  on  our  educational  system.  During 
the  last  year  I  have  had  calls  from  a  number  of  very 
bright  little  pupils,  boys  and  girls  both,  who  had  com- 
pleted the  grammar  school  at  13  or  14  years  of  age. 
Their  parents  did  not  wish  them  to  attend  high  school 
and  their  wage-earning  ability  was  an  important  con- 
sideration in  the  home.  What  shall  we  do  with  these 
potentially  efficient  wage  earners  ?  As  it  is  they  remain 
at  home  neglecting  both  educational  and  vocational 
progress,  probably  to  be  less  alert  mentally  at  16  years 
of  age  than  they  are  at  14.  I  regard  this  matter  as 
worthy  of  serious  attention.  Some  would  probably 
offer  the  Junior  High  Schol  as  a  remedy :  others  would 
insist  upon  definite  vocational  training.  One  or  two 
other  methods  of  solution  have  occurred  to  me  but  I 
have  not  yet  studied  the  problem  carefully  enough  to 
warrant  recommendations. 

Table  VIII.  is  decidedly  interesting  along  the  same 
lines  as  is  the  age  and  grade  table. 


102  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 


Vm.     Occupations  of  Permit  Children   1915-16 
Permits  Sept.  1,  1915,  to  June  30,  1916 


Occupation 

Grades 

High  School 

Total 

Boys 

Girls 

Boys 

Girls 

Boys 

Girls 

Delivery  and  messenger 

17 

17 

26 

26 

2 

17 

28 

43 

Office 

2 

1 

4 

3 

4 

Trade 

7 

2 

7 

2 

1 

1 

1 

j 

5 

5 

4 

8 

12 

Street  trade 

Newspaper 

1 

1 

ttnlf  link* 

1 

1 

Mill 

1 

1 

Library 

Telephone 

1 

1 

4 

4 

6 

6 

No  work 

5 

11 

5 

11 

Total 

72 

48 

3 

30 

75 

78 

The  number  of  high  school  girls  employed  in  de- 
partment stores  has  increased  from  six  in  1914-15  to 
17  in  1915-16.  The  number  of  laundry  workers  has 
decreased  owing  to  the  state  law  which  forbids  the  em- 
ployment of  girls  under  18  as  "shakers."  Boys  were 
tried  for  this  line  of  work  when  the  law  first  went  into 
effect  but  they  were  not  satisfactory  and  older  girls  are 
used  almost  entirely  now.  There  is  little  call  for  the 
very  young  anywhere  at  f  6.00  a  week. 

We  are  offering  no  wage  tables  this  year  as  there 
are  definite  legal  requirements  in  all  the  employments 
entered  by  our  pupils.    In  1913-14,  we  found  the  aver- 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  103 

age  initial  wage  of  grammar  school  girls  to  be  $5.10 
and  of  high  school  girls  to  be  $7.08.  For  grammar 
school  boys,  it  was  $6.07  and  for  high  school  boys,  $7.76. 

At  the  present  time,  the  legal  requirements  for  both 
sexes  under  18  are  $6  a  week  in  nearly  all  lines.  The 
office  wage  is  $6  under  16,  and  $7.50  between  16  and  18. 

Comparison  of  the  two  groups  of  staistics,  assuming 
that  there  are  no  law  violations,  would  prove  conclu- 
sively that  the  minimum  wage  rulings  had  tended  to 
lower  rather  than  to  increase  the  average  wage  for 
minors.  It  has  undoubtedly  raised  the  wage  of  the 
majority  of  individuals,  but  it  has  lowered  the  wage  of 
our  few  superior  pupils  who  were  above  the  average 
standard  of  efficiency.  There  are  other  interesting 
facts  in  connection  with  the  influence  of  the  wage  law. 
I  mention  one  or  two  which  will  indicate  the  type  of 
information  which  we  receive  on  this  subject.  The 
wage  laws  for  minors  are  identical  for  boys  and  girls. 
This  means  that  few  boys  get  over  $6  or  $7.50  while 
under  18.  The  moment  they  are  18,  the  hand  of  the 
law  is  removed  and  they  can  control  their  own  labor 
sale  while  the  girl  cannot.  Boys  over  18  are  frequently 
found  working  for  $5  or  $6  a  week,  while  the  law  re- 
quires $10  for  a  girl  of  similar  age.  Naturally  the  boy 
takes  the  position  away  from  the  girl.1 

Girls  who  complete  the  high  school  course  are  usu- 
ally about  18  years  of  age  at  graduation.  The  wage 
laws  recognize  them  as  adult  workers  and  force  them 
to  compete  for  positions  with  the  older,  experienced 
woman  who  is  entitled  to  the  same  wage.  This  has  re- 
sulted in  many  girls  working  without  any  wage  in 
order  to  get  a  "tryout."  There  are  many  different  ways 
in  which  the  wage  law  is  effectively  chloroformed  with- 
out the  slightest  risk  of  violation.3 

1  This  was  most  emphatically  true  during  the  recent  financial  de- 
pression. It  is  less  true  now  as  there  is  mora  of  a  demand  for  adult 
male  labor. 

2  Neither  our  department  nor  the  attendance  department  Issues 
labor  permits  for  employment  at  less  than  the  minimum. 


104  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 

Another  type  of  girl  who  suffers  from  the  provisions 
of  the  law  is  the  one  who  is  most  desirable  between  16 
and  18,  or  17  and  18,  at  the  minimum  of  $6,  but  who 
becomes  undesirable  at  f  10  when  she  is  18.  The  tend- 
ency of  the  law  is  to  force  the  girl  to  remain  in  school 
until  about  16  years  of  age,  between  16  and  18  there  is 
a  tendency  to  draw  her  out  of  school,  because  of  the 
ease  with  which  she  can  secure  employment!1  After 
18  it  is  most  difficult  for  our  high  school  graduates  to 
secure  any  line  of  employment  without  definite  voca- 
tional experience. 

II.    VOCATIONAL  STATISTICS2 

From  year  to  year  the  character  and  volume  of  work 
passing  through  any  vocational  office  should  be  care- 
fully tabulated  in  order  to  understand  correctly  the 
changes  in  vocational  demand  and  therefore  to  insti- 
tute corresponding  changes  in  methods  of  work.  Busi- 
ness life  is  progressive.  Unless  the  vocational  depart- 
ment can  forecast,  as  well  as  keep  up  with,  this  prog- 
ress, it  cannot  hope  for  business  co-operation. 

Table  IX.  classifies  the  material  side  of  our  voca- 
tional work  at  the  office  for  1915-16,  showing  the  dif- 
ference in  character  and  volume  of  work  for  each 
month. 


1  Girls  between    16   and   18   are   in  demand. 

2  Covering  the  period  from  September  1,  1915,  to  June  20,  1916, 
when  we  were  obliged  to  close  the  office  in  order  to  make  the  report 
for  July  1st. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 


105 


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106 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  191 3-1 9 1 6. 


Education  includes  purely  educational  calls — the 
type  of  educational  guidance  which  will  eventually  be 
done  by  the  teaching  corps.  Vocational  Education  in- 
cludes vocational  guidance  in  either  the  general  or  the 
special  field.  Vocational  Employment  comprises  pupils 
who  call  for  advice  on  occupations  and  includes  voca- 
tional placements  made  by  the  office.  Employment  is 
a  somewhat  misleading  term.  It  applies  to  all  pupils 
who  call  for  permits,  those  who  call  to  report  on  their 
progress  in  industry  or  who  seek  advice  as  to  occupa- 
tional readjustment,  and  those  who  desire  student  aid.1 

The  full  volume  of  work  including  the  office  calls 
tabulated  in  Table  IX.  is  as  follows : 


Total 
2727 

2210 

447 

70 

1409(») 

67 

606 

446 
160 

14 

131 

This  means  4,136  personal  interviews  at  the  office 
and  school,  and  606  home  visits  in  addition  to  the  calls 
at  business  houses  and  public  addresses. 

When  one  realizes  that  this  demand  has  been  met 
with  only  the  help  of  a  stenographer  for  clerical  work, 
and  74%  days  of  assistance  from  a  temporary  worker* 
it  is  not  difficult  to  understand  why  I  am  leaving  the 

1  Appendix  IV.  contains  a  list  of  placements  of  both  classes — Voca- 
tional Employment  and  Student  Aid.  This  phase  of  the  work  has  been 
minimized  because  we  believe  it  tends  to  lower  the  standard  of  real 
vocational  guidance.  It  is  the  phase  of  our  work  which  is  most  gen- 
erally misunderstood. 

2  Twelve  hundred  and  seventy-one  of  these  interviews  were  with 
newsboys  as  a  basis  of  our  study  soon  to  be  completed,  "Newsboys  In 
the  Public  Schools." 

•  Personally  I  am  under  great  obligations  to  Mrs.  Crickmore,  who 
has  rendered  an  unusually  high  class  of  service  in  a  position  where 
salary  was  limited  by  an  $1,800  appropriation  and  where  employment 
was  therefore  intermittent  and  often  decidedly  Inconvenient. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916.  107 

office  without  having  completed  the  "Newsboys  in  the 
Public  Schools." 

IIL    FINANCIAL  STATEMENT 

During  1913-14  and  1914-15,  no  expense  was  incurred 
by  the  Board  other  than  that  incidental  to  the  publica- 
tion of  the  Report. 

Ability  to  meet  the  full  demands  of  the  broadened 
investigation  single-handed  was  not  to  be  expected. 
Were  scientific  conclusions  to  be  reached,  records  must 
be  kept ;  the  teaching  corps  must  be  informed  and  util- 
ized ;  considerable  research  work  must  be  done  on  allied 
school  lines  and  in  the  industrial  field;  current  litera- 
ture must  be  reviewed  lest  benefit  of  other  experiments 
be  lost;  personal  interviews  must  be  maintained  and 
a  follow-up  system  established. 

The  sum  of  $1,800  was  appropriated  for  office  and 
telephone  rent,  office  supplies  and  stenographic  assis- 
tance. This  sum  is  accounted  for  in  this  section  of  the 
report.  Taken  in  connection  with  the  volume  of  work 
passing  through  the  office,  the  research  work  accom- 
plished, and  the  number  of  addresses  given,  I  feel  as- 
sured that  we  have  accomplished  a  maximum  of  work 
with  a  minimum  of  investment. 

The  following  are  the  expenditures  for  the  year 
ending  June  30,  1916 : 

Salaries  of  stenographer  and  visitor $1,271.64 

Stationery,  printing  and  office  supplies 243.58 

Telephone 45.60 

Rent 180 . 00 

Total $1,740.82 


108  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 


APPENDIX  L 

Part  I. 
Bibliographies  of  Vocational  Guidance 

U.  S.  Bureau  of  Education.  Monthly  record  of  current  educa- 
tional publications.     Washington,  D.  C. 

Bulletins  of  the  Russell  Sage  Foundation  on  social  and  so- 
ciological subjects. 

Bulletins  of  the  Public  Affairs  Information  Service.  White 
Plains,  N.  Y. 

Bulletins  of  the  National  Society  for  the  Promotion  of  In- 
dustrial Education. 

Child  Welfare  Surveys  and  Bibliography.  Extension  Divi- 
sion Bulletins,  University  of  Iowa. 

Technical  Education  Bulletins.  Bureau  of  Publications.  Co- 
lumbia University. 

A  Vocational  Guidance  Bibliography,  Bulletin  No.  12,  Cali- 
fornia State  Board  of  Education. 

Bulletin  of  Grand  Rapids  Public  Library. 

Bulletins  of  the  Seattle  Public  Library. 

Bulletin  B.  Vocational  Guidance — Chicago  Association  of  Com- 
merce. 

Bibliography  National  Child  Labor  Committee. 

Publications  of  the  American  Labor  Federation. 

Publications  of  the  Chicago  School  of  Civics  and  Philanthropy. 

Monthly  Bulletins  of  the  Carnegie  Library. 

Choosing  an  Occupation — issued  by  the  Brooklyn  Public  Li- 
brary. 

Committee  Reports — National  Association  of  Corporation 
Schools. 

PartlL 

A  List  of  Organizations  Engaged  in  Vocational  Guidance 

Alliance  Employment  Bureau,  New  York  City. 

Central  Committee  on  Vocational  Guidance,  Manhattan,  N.  Y. 

Chicago  Woman's  Club,  Chicago,  111. 

Collegiate  Bureau  of  Occupations,  Chicago. 

Co-operative  Employment  Bureau,  Providence,  R,  I. 

Co-operative  Employment  Bureau  of  Ohio,  Cleveland. 

DeWitt  Clinton  High  School,  New  York  City. 

Girls'  Trade  Education  League,  Boston. 

Intercollegiate  Bureau  of  Occupations,  New  York. 

Manhattan  Trade  School  for  Girls,  New  York  City. 

Newton  High  School,  New  York  City. 

Roxbury  Placement  Bureau,  Boston,  Mass. 

Students  Aid  Committee,  Brooklyn. 

Vocation  Bureau  of  Boston. 

Vocational  Guidance  Committee,  Hartford,  Conn. 

Women's  Educational  and  Industrial  Union,  Boston. 

Young  Women's  Christian  Association. 


Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916. 


109 


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111 


APPENDIX  in. 

U.  S.  Department  of  Labor 

Bureau  of  Naturalization 

Washington  • 


Nov.  1,  1915. 


List  of  cities  in  Washington  which  are  being  furnished 
with  Educational  Record  Cards. 


Total 

Population 

1910 

Foreign 

Born 

White 

Population 

1910 

Naturalization  Papers 
Filed:    F.  Y.  1915 

Declaration 

Petitions 

Everett 

Roslyn 

Seattle 

Spokane 

Tacoma * 

Wall*  WftHa 

24,814 
3,126 
237,194 
104,402 
83,743 
19,364 
4,050 

5,472 

1,556 

60,835 

21,220 

21,463 

2,361 

360 

262 
109 
•    1,900 
447 
457 
63 
39 

120 
45 
834 
253 
204 
36 

Wenatchee 

13 

Total  for  the  U.  S 

25,009,026 

6,649,773 

191,632 

78,847 

112  Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916 


APPE1VDIX  IV. 

Placements  by  Office 


Placements  by  Office 
Permanent 

Placements  by  Office 
Vacation  and  After  School 

Grade 

High 
School 

Total 

Grade 

High 
School 

Total 

B. 

6 

2 

8 

1 

1 

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G. 

4 

9 

13 

6 

14 

20 

B. 

4 

14 

18 

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G. 

1 

7 

8 

2 

1 

3 

B. 

1 

1 

G. 

13 

9 

22 

5 

2 

7 

B. 

G. 

13 

8 

21 

12 

9 

21 

B. 

27 

6 

33 

1 

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nm G. 

B. 

4 

4 

2 

2 

G. 

B. 

2 

2 

1 

1 

G. 

Total 

72 

60 

132 

31 

38 

69 

Vocational  Guidance  Report  1913-1916  113 


Placements  by  High  Schools 


BoyB 

Girls 

Total 

Permanent 

Temporary 

Permanent 

Temporary 

Commercial 

12 

3 
5 

16 

9 

40 
5 

37 

22 

59 

Total 

12 

8 

53 

31 

104 

All  placements  of  boys  except  one  were  made  by  Broadway. 
Thirty-seven   domestic  placements  were  made  by  Broadway. 
Fourteen  domestic  placements  were  made  by  Lincoln. 
Eight  domestic  placements  were  made  by  Franklin. 
Many   domestic  placements   were  for  care  of  children  by  the  hour 
and   hence  there  is   frequent  repetition   of  names. 


INDEX 

Page 

Abilities— Wanted  by  employers. _ 73,  75 

Accuracy — Mathematical  75,  76 

Arithmetic — Speed  and  accuracy  in : 75,  76 

Motivation  of   ....... 76,  77 

School  grading  in - 76 

Associations — Parent-Teachers 36 

Assistants — Vocational    64 

Attendance — Regularity  in  evening  schools 55,  56,  57 

Attendance  Officers — Examinations  for 70 

Attendance  Office— Duties  of 37,  38 

Educational  Research  and 41 

Methods  of  -., __ 41,  42 

Records  of  „._ ^ 42 

Relation  to  Vocational  Department 18,  41,  42 

Report  of  , 97,  98 

Vocational  Guidance  and 37 

Character — Business  requirements 85 

Development  of  ~ 85,  86,  87 

Recommendations   , 87 

Clubs— Civic-Industrial    30 

Commercial  Education — Advisory  Committee  for 83 

For  Boys   .._ „ 81 

For  Girls 82 

Purpose  of  80,  83 

Vocational  Diplomas  and 83 

Vocational  Guidance  and 69,  81,  83,  84 

Commercial  Occupations — Classification  of 81 

Compulsory  Education — Enforcement  of 38 

Laws  Regarding  _ 38,  97 

Violations  of  -„., 38,  39 

Corporation  Schools — National  Association  of 66,  85 

Vocational  Guidance  in 24 

Education — Meaning  of  Public 8,  9 

Educational  Guidance 15,  21,  24,  31,  43,  66 

Educational  Research — Attendance  office  and 41 

Vocational  Department  and 19,  20 

115 


116  Index 

Page 

Efficiency  Tests  77 

Elementary  Schools — Elimination  from 93 

Teachers  in  22,  23 

Vocational  Courses  in 21,  22,  25,  67 

Vocational  Guidance  in 21,  22,  68 

Eliminated  Pupils— Nationality  of 95 

School  Status  of 98,  99,  100 

Elimination — Amount  of  93,  94 

From  industry 16 

Reasons  for  from  day  school 95,  96,  97 

Reasons  for  from  evening  school 58 

Vocational  Guidance  and 8,  17,  22,  31 

Employments — Enervating  51 

Energizing  51 

Of  evening  school  pupils 51,  52,  53 

Of  day  school  pupils 102 

Employment  Manager  66 

Employment  Supervision  31,  32,  67 

English — Errors  in  spoken 73 

High  School  reading  courses  in 27 

Non-functioning  courses  in 27,  75 

Evening  Schools — Abilities  and  needs  of  pupils  in 50,  51 

Age  of  pupils  in 46,  50 

Alien  women  in 63 

Curriculum  of 50,  54 

Day  employment  of  pupils  in 51,  52,  53 

Elimination  from 55,  58 

Immigrants  in  46,  47,  61 

Methods  of  instruction  in 46,  60 

Motive  for  attending 50 

Nationality  of  pupils  in 45,  46,  47,  48 

Naturalization  and 46 

Records  of  54,  56 

Registration  in  50,  53,  54,  61 

Regularity  of  attendance  in 55,  56,  57,  61 

Supervision  of   60 

University  extension  and 54,  55 

Vocational  Guidance  and 18,  43,  44,  51,  54,  56,  67 

Financial  report 107 

Free  employment  18,  25,  31,  32,  35 


Index  117 


Page 

Geography — Academic  requirements  in 78 

Business  requirements  in 77,  79 

Tests  in  77 

Home — Vocational  guidance  and  the 35,  36 

High  Schools— Librarians  in 25,  29 

Teachers  in  23,  24 

Vocational  counsellors  in 68 

Vocational  guidance  in 22,  23,  24,  25,  30,  68 

Immigrants — Employments  of 62 

Evening  schools  and 46,  47 

Nationality  of  48,  62 

Naturalization  of   46,  48,  62 

Industrial  Visits 18,  19 

Labor  Laws — Violation  of 38,  39,  40 

Labor  Permits — Issuance  of 38,  41 

Laws  regarding  39,  97 

Number  of  1915-16 98 

Libraries    25,  26 

.Librarians — As  vocational  assistants 25,  26,  29 

High  School    29,  30 

Public   29 

Minimum  Wage — Demanding  educational  readjustment....      101 

Influence  of  96,  98,  101,  102,  103,  104 

Naturalization    62 

Office  Boys — Instruction  needed  for 84 

Parent-Teacher  Associations    36 

Personality    88 

Physical  defectives  in  the  public  schools 63 

Purpose  of  vocational  investigation 5,  6,  8 

Point  of  view  of  writer 8 

Reading    80 

Records — Importance  of  attendance  office 42 

Importance  of  evening  school 54,  56 

Retardation  of  eliminated  pupils 94 

Retardation  of  permit  pupils 99,  100 

School  leaving  blanks 95 

School  Leaving  Permits — Issuance  of 38,  97 

Number  of  98 

Violation  of  law  requiring 38,  39 

Social  Agencies  and  Vocational  Guidance 36,  37 


118  Index 


Page 

Student  aid  18 

Teachers — Professional  attitude  of  elementary 22,  23 

Specialization  of  high  school 23,  24 

University  Extension — Cooperation  of  evening  schools  in  54,  55 

Vocational  Assistants — Duties  of 65,  66,  67 

Examinations  for 70 

Vocational  Department — Date  of  establishing 13 

Financial  report  of 107 

Organization  of  17,  18,  65,  68,  69 

Scope  of  18,  34 

Volume  of  work  in 104,  105,  106 

Vocational  Guidance — Aims   of 9,  14,  32 

Beginnings  of  7,  13 

Definition  of 13,  16,  21,  36,  68 

Director  of 18,  23,  65,  66 

Employment  and  32 

Educational  Research  and 19,  20,  21 

Eliminated  pupils  and 8,  17,  22,  31 

Evening  schools  and 18,  43,  44 

In  elementary  schools  21,  22,  68 

In  high  school 22,  23,  24,  25,  30,  68 

Industrial  progress  and 44,  65,  67 

The  Home  and 35,  36 

Librarian  and  25,  29 

Other  social  agencies  and 36,  37 

Methods  of  14,  15,  16,  17,  20,  66,  87 

Place  of  the  teacher  in 16,  22,  67 

Physical  defectives  and 63 

Vocational  assistants  and 64,  65,  68,  69,  70 

Vocational  specialization  and 67,  68 

Vocational  information  and 21,  22,  25,  67 

Vocational  Information — Courses  in 21,  22,  25,  67 

Wage — Of  children  holding  permits 102,  103 

Influence  of  wage  rulings  on 102,  103 

Writing  " 79 


APPENDICES 


Page 

Appendix  I.    — Part     I,     Bibliographies    of    Vocational 

Guidance    108 

Appendix  I.    — Part  II,  Organizations  Engaged  in  Voca- 
tional Guidance  108 

Appendix  II.  — Employment  Blank  109-110 

Appendix  III. — Naturalization  Statistics  Ill 

Appendix  IV. — Placements   by   Schools   and   by   Central 

Office   112-113 


LIST  OF  TABLES 

SECTION  I. 

Page 

Table  I.         Nationality  and  Location  of  Evening  School 

Pupils   47 

"      II.       Nativity  with  Reference  to  Location 48 

"     III.      Ages  of  Evening  School  Pupils 49 

"     IV.      Relation   of   Evening   Study   to   Day   Employ- 
ment, Men    53 

"     V.        Relation   of  Evening   Study   to  Day   Employ- 
ment, Women  53 

"     VI.      Evening  School  Attendance 56 

"     VII.     Total  Registration  and  Attendance 57 

"     VIII.  Elimination  by  Subjects 59 

"     IX.      Foreigners  Applying  for  Citizenship  Papers 62 

SECTION  III. 

Table  I.        Age,  Grade  and  Retardation,  Eliminated  Pupils, 

Girls 94 

"     II.       Age,  Grade  and  Retardation,  Eliminated  Pupils, 

Boys  94 

"     III.      Nationality  of  Eliminated  Pupils 95 

"     IV.      Reasons  Why  Children  Leave  School 95 

"     V.        Permits  Granted  98 

"     VI.      Summary  of  Age,  Grade  and  Retardation,  by 

School  99 

"     VII.     Summary  of  Age,  Grade  and  Retardation,  by 

Sex  100 

"     VIII.  Occupations  of  Permit  Children 102 

"     IX.      Volume  and  Character  of  Work  in  Vocational 

Department  105 


UNIVEKSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

BERKELEY 

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<:Ji.28UBfi 

OCT  27 1917 

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